Why Spruce?

The Spruce tree has many noble properties. At the core of it’s being, the Spruce tree strives to do the most with what is given. It thrives in drought and extreme winter conditions alike, which makes it a popular choice in landscaping and as Christmas trees. It’s root systems are quite shallow for it’s size, giving it a small footprint. It’s needles can be used as an emergency water source, and you can weave a mean basket with it’s roots. As lumber, Spruce has an impressive strength to weight ratio - the Wright Brothers’ first aircraft, the Flyer, was made from Spruce! It is commonly used as tonewood for instruments, including the violin, cello, and guitar, and as a soundboard for piano. Spruce literally sets the tone!

Other than vacations, I’ve never been far from a Spruce tree. I grew up in Calgary, Alberta, Canada - a bustling metropolis situated in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. My outdoor stomping grounds featured vast coniferous forests heavily featuring the spruce tree. Being out in the mountains meant I was doing one of my favorite activities, and I was always in striking distance of a Spruce tree. I now reside in west Michigan, where Spruce is heavily featured as well

It is this versatility and efficiency coupled with my personal connection to them that makes Spruce the perfect embodiment of what the SMW is all about!

Why Moose?

Apart from the Moose’s incredible strength and adaptability to extreme environments, my favorite quality is the antlers. The wide base (palmate) gives way to finger-like projections, or tines, to round out the characteristic look. What does this have to do with woodwork? To me, the antler is analogous to a wide base of skills (the “palmate”) that gives way to many different projects and builds (the “tines”). As the skillset builds, it provides a strong foundation for more and more build options! Only when the skillset is strong, does a build end up with the highest function and quality. Building up my palmate requires practice and patience.

Ironically, despite growing up in the Canadian Rockies where Moose are prevalent, the first and only time I’ve encountered one in the wild was mountain biking near Park City, Utah. It’s not a great pic, but I only had my phone and I kept my distance so as not to get charged - they are very territorial and protective of their young!

For these reasons, the Spruce and Moose together are a perfect embodiment of the woodshop’s mission, where every build is done with precision, dependability, and efficiency.