Peter Follansbee is a renowned American traditional woodworker whose career spans over four decades, focusing on 17th-century oak furniture from England and New England. He lives in Kingston, Massachusetts, in an early 19th-century house, and operates a small, unplugged workshop that reflects his hands-on approach. He has been writing a blog since 2008. It is about a few things; his specialty in reproductions of 17th-century oak furniture, the use of hand woodworking tools, carving wooden spoons & bowls – and other pursuits involving hardwoods “riven” or split from a log. He first began learning these techniques in 1978 when he began a career as a historic carpenter at Williamsburg and Plymouth Plantation.
Peter will share his techniques in hand riving, planning and shaping green oak, a wood he has mastered in 50 years of practice. Join us at Artisan’s Asylum in Alston to watch a master at work.
Early Life and Training
Follansbee’s woodworking journey began in 1980 when he attended John (Jennie) Alexander’s second chairmaking course at Drew Langsner’s Country Workshops in Marshall, North Carolina North House Folk School. He continued studying there in the 1980s and 1990s, learning techniques such as Windsor chairmaking, timber framing, basketry, coopering, and spoon-and-bowl carving He also worked with Jennie Alexander, Curtis Buchanan, and Jogge Sundqvist, becoming her student, research partner, and friend
Career Focus
From the mid-1980s onward, Follansbee dedicated himself to 17th-century joinery, inspired by both English and New England traditions. His work includes carved oak furniture, chests, chairs, boxes, and cupboards, using traditional methods such as drawbored mortise-and-tenon joints, frame-and-panel construction, and hand tools like planes, chisels, gauges, awls, and mortise boring tools He often works from riven green oak logs, splitting and planing the wood himself.
Work at Plimoth Plantation
From 1994 to 2014, Follansbee served as the joiner at Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum depicting early 17th-century life in Plymouth. There, he produced period-style furniture using riven green oak and period hand tools
Publications and Teaching
Follansbee has authored and co-authored several books, including Make a Joint Stool from a Tree: An Introduction to 17th-Century Joinery (with Jennie Alexander) and Joiner’s Work (2019). He has written articles for American Furniture and Popular Woodworking, and is a sought-after instructor, teaching workshops in the U.S., the U.K., Sweden, and Australia
Legacy
His work is held in collections such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Chipstone Foundation’s Milwaukee Art Museum Follansbee is celebrated for preserving and teaching traditional woodworking skills, emphasizing craftsmanship, historical accuracy, and the use of hand tools over modern machinery