Brian Klein: Craftsman and Teacher

I began woodworking with my uncle in 2006, turning wine stoppers and pens for Christmas gifts on his lathe, but it took around a decade for me to return to it, coinciding with the purchase of my first home. My first projects were furniture based on Ana White’s plans, but soon after, I fell down the rabbit hole of Japanese woodworking, and have been there ever since. I am especially fond of, and aspire to become a capable craftsman in kumiko woodworking, which is the Japanese art of creating intricate patterns inside wooden lattices. I’m a voracious learner, and am always experimenting with incorporating new aesthetics into my projects where I can.

Recently, I’ve become not only a student of woodworking, but also a teacher. I teach others basic woodworking with machines at the Craft Center at the University of California, Davis. I hope to do more classes in the future, including classes on kumiko and hand tool woodworking.