Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Voigt.
Derek, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
What started as a hobby in 2008 has grown into a passion for creating heirloom-quality pieces that are meant to be used, admired, and passed down for generations. Every item I make is handcrafted in my Michigan workshop from carefully selected hardwoods, with a focus on timeless design, durability, and attention to detail.
By day, I’ve spent more than two decades as an engineer and program manager in the automotive industry. That background taught me precision, consistency, and the importance of doing things the right way. Those same principles guide every project that leaves my shop.
Whether it’s one of my signature peppermills, an antique-style grinder, a custom gift, or a unique piece of figured hardwood, I believe the best products are built to last. I don’t believe in shortcuts, mass production, or settling for “good enough.” Every piece receives the same care and craftsmanship as if I were making it for my own home.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There is no smooth road forward, one just has to choose “their hard”. I chose to start slow, only using extra money I had to purchase tools and supplies and grew as fast as my cash would allow. It was a self-funding hobby while working about my main job that pays all the bills. Slow start means slow growth, which is hard.
What to make is also an issue, and then: what can I make at a profit? I tried making a variety of things, and found the most satisfaction with doing lathe work. Once I settled into lathe work I could work to better defining the products that I make and become more proficient at them. Then finding the wood I want to use in the process is a completely separate challenge. It takes the same amount of work to make something from ugly wood as it does from beautiful wood, so always start with pretty wood!
Where to sell your work? I started selling with friends, family, and word of mouth. The internet has made the world a very small place and opened up a huge market potential. But with that potential comes huge competition, and there is always someone that will offer something for sale that is significantly cheaper than what you can afford to sell it for. I have posted on the usually social media platforms for additional exposure, to allow people to get to see me, some of my finished work, as well as some of the processes on how I make some of my work. Also, there is something different about seeing a piece in person, to be able to pick it up and feel the weight, and feel the smoothness of the wood. This in-person experience means that I have to go to Art Shows and Festivals to get my work in front of people. That means you need to invest in a tent and a full art show set up. These shows can be a grind, you will work 12 hour days hoping for no rain, and that the temperatures stay out of the 90’s, which is nearly impossible in a Michigan summer. If a festive is busy, it is hard to talk to everyone and keep up on the details, and if it is slow you have to sit there all day without making any money. Choose your hard.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My journey through woodworking has guided me largely into wood turning, more specifically into spindle turning. I started off turning small things like pens and wine stoppers but gravitated to making peppermills because these gave me a larger “canvas” to work with. This canvas shows more of the story of the specific piece of wood, where the color and figure can be dramatically different from the top of the piece compared to the bottom. I pride myself on making functional pieces of art. I use a very practical, natural finish on most of my pieces. They are made to be used, not just admired. I think I have the most unique peppermills around. I still have never seen anything similar to my Live Edge style peppermills. While I will use “normal” woods in my “Standard Series” of peppermills so that I can offer various price points to customers, the premium exotic woods or heavily burled woods I offer in my “Premium” or “Exhibition” Series really sets my pieces apart from an average wood turner.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Working in the shop for hours at a time it’s nice to have something to listen to that helps break up the drone of the dust collector or table saw. If I’m not listening to music I have a go-to list of podcasts. It changes over time, but most consistently my list has been:
“Wood Talk” or “Shop Talk Live” if I’m looking for a woodworking inspired listen.
“The GaryVee Audio Experience” if I need some inspiration on business or social media marketing.
“The Dr John Delony Show” because I have learned alot about myself by listening to some of the issues others have and the advice offered on how to navigate and understand these struggles. It’s quite insightful to do some internal reflection!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.handmadewoodgifts.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/handmadewoodgifts
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/handmadewoodgifts
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@handmadewoodgifts
- Other: http://www.tiktok.com/@handmadewoodgifts
