Holger Hoppe
Woodturner
From Computer to Lathe…….
In 2001, my wife and I bought our property in Mendocino county as a weekend retreat to get away from the pressure of our high tech, Silicon Valley jobs. I had no real plans to begin woodworking, my background being software engineering; however, living on a property filled with such incredible nature, soon had me delving more deeply into the various trees we were surrounded with. I soon began experimenting with creating some wood products, mostly cutting boards and furniture. In 2014, I took the plunge - bought my first lathe, entered the world of wood turning and have never turned back.
My focus has evolved and is now on the whole life cycle of producing wood products. From taking down the tree (only when there is a reason it cannot be sustained), to digging up the roots, to processing the wood and finally turning it into finished pieces. Click here to get more information about the process I use this life cycle approach. My speciality has become mastering the challenges of the Madrone wood - not an easy task. Click here to get more information specific to the production of Madrone.