Watch: Montreal woodworker revives ancient art
MONTREAL – Wood is one of the first materials ever used by humans to build basic goods, but it’s taken a back seat in our fast-paced, digital-era society driven by disposable, pre-fabricated, mass-produced goods.
From kitchen cabinets to chairs and treasure chests, you name it, he can make it.
“It’s very relaxing, it’s quiet, I like the sound of sharp metal cutting wood, it’s beautiful.”
Noah Soroka carved out a career for himself two years ago. After studying political science, the Montrealer was looking for a more meaningful line of work.
“In my family, if you need something you shouldn’t be shy to build it, you just make it.”
So Soroka went back to school to learn the ancient art of woodworking. He’s a graduate of the acclaimed College of the Redwoods in California, where he also learned that true woodworkers are a rare breed.
“It’s an exclusive group I think, who are willing to take this approach to woodworking which is one of sensitivity to your material and also of mastering hand skills and building hand tools.”
Like any fine woodworker, Soroka has built all his hand tools from scratch.
“You can see that hand planes can take off very, very fine shavings. Machines can’t really do that.”
While he does resort to power tools for bigger pieces, Soroka said what sets his work apart from modern-day mass-made products is the material, the design and the passion that goes into every piece.
“No, you can’t get this at Ikea,” he said with a laugh.
The 33-year-old is currently working on a closet cabinet for a client in Boston: a simple handmade door that can cost up to a few thousand dollars.
“The pieces are such an investment in time and energy there’s only so many that I can make in a year, and that makes it very exclusive. It also makes it expensive,” he noted.
Soroka works in a cooperative studio in St. Henri, a history-filled, former working-class Montreal neighbourhood.
The studio allows him to use equipment he could never afford on his own and also gives him a chance him to learn from other artists who share his passion.
Despite the downfalls of being self-employed, woodworking is clearly a dream job.
The collective experience of working with other artists is one of the most rewarding parts of his job. Not to mention making a living doing exactly what he loves.
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