Leveling Up

My freshly assembled settee, built with George Sawyer.

Kale Vogt
June 30, 2025

It’s been difficult to catch my breath with how fast life and work have been moving lately. Just as I’ve settled back in from visiting George Sawyer in Vermont, I’m gearing up to leave again. This time on vacation to France and Italy with my partner, Jordan.

But per usual, before I go, there’s much to catch you all up on.

I’ve been reflecting on my time in Vermont earlier this month, building a settee with George Sawyer. I would say there wasn’t a single part of the class I didn’t enjoy but… well, all I’ll say is that adzing is not for the weak.

What struck me on my first day of class was how differently George’s shop operates than the Lost Art Press shop. It was fun to witness a shop that primarily lives in production mode. As I and other students were drawknifing spindles upstairs, a trestle table and 10' bench were in progress on the floor below us.

There was an energy in the air from all the production work happening around us. It wasn’t just how George’s shop was operated that excited me, it was who was operating it, too. All of George’s employees are young people; 20- or 30-somethings who are early into their woodworking career. Just like Katherine and me.

Katherine helping assemble four dining chairs.

Having the opportunity to see people who look like me in the trade unlocked a pathway in my brain I wasn’t even aware of. It feels easier to envision my future self as a woodworker now, having actually experienced a community of other young people also making their way.

And just like taking classes outside of Lost Art Press have shown me much about the craft, having Katherine on board now has done the same.

It’s been an unexpected joy to share my woodworking knowledge with Katherine. Even though I’m still an apprentice myself, sharing knowledge has provided me insight to how much I’ve actually obtained over the past year and a half. And how much growing I still have to do.

I wouldn’t say teaching comes naturally to me, but having a student who is curious and willing, like Katherine, makes teaching easy. It also helps that as millennials, (on the cusp of Gen Z) we speak a common language.

There’s still much about woodworking I have to learn before I feel I can educate. But dipping my toes into the teaching realm with Katherine has me eager for the effect teaching seems to have on an educator: where teaching others seems to teach one about themselves just as much.