Photograph by Andrew Doench
Christopher Schwarz got his start as a homesteader growing up in the mountains of Arkansas, where his parents built their first house entirely with hand tools. “I hated it,” says the Covington-based furniture maker, writer, and publisher.
Although he left the mountains for Chicago to pursue a journalism degree, woodworking stayed in his blood. He took his first woodworking class at the University of Kentucky in 1993 and a few years later became managing editor at F+W Publishing’s Popular Woodworking magazine in Cincinnati.
Schwarz’s personal woodworking experience began with building casework such as shelving, built-ins, and cabinets. He began making Morris chairs, which feature a reclining back and moderately high armrests. His commission work typically involved crafting “campaign furniture,” a British style of travel furniture used by military officers using mahogany, teak, and brass. Today he makes vernacular chairs, furniture that was found in old peasant cottages in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. “I love walking in the footsteps of anonymous and ingenious people who built everything on their farm or in their home with just a few tools,” he says.
Schwarz focuses on selecting woods and adhesives that make his creations last 200 to 300 years, compared to the lifespan of furniture made by corporations, which typically is just a handful of years. Crafting sustainable and durable pieces is at the heart of what he does. “Wood is the most renewable resource on the planet,” he says. “It literally grows on trees. And as long as we manage our forests responsibly, there is enough wood for as long as there will be humans.”
He stopped doing commission projects in 2019, exhausted from building exotic pieces for wealthy people. “I wanted to build folk furniture that teachers, firefighters, and other normal people could afford,” he says.
Photograph by Andrew Doench
Back in 2010, a handful of woodworking schools asked Schwarz to teach basic classes in handsaws, chisels, and hand planes. “I was a terrible teacher at first,” he says. “But after some advice from a friend who was a great teacher, I got better.” He considers himself lucky for the opportunities he’s had to teach all over the world, from Australia to Germany.
His advice for aspiring woodworkers is to get their hands dirty. “Doing it is more important than reading about it or watching videos,” he says, adding that it’s crucial to learn how to sharpen your tools, understand wood, make joints, and apply finishes through real-life experience.
Schwarz points to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, Indiana, as a resource for those looking to learn. You can also check out his latest creations at his Covington retail space, Lost Art Press (407 Madison Ave.).
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