At first glance, you wouldn't think much of the 2-storey shed that stands in his backyard. But one foot in the door, and you realize you've stepped into a magical world of burls, knots and antique woods. It's the workshop of Konrad Sauer, one of the world's finest hand plane craftsmen.

Konrad's reverence to the art of his craft is as fierce as his passion for the end product itself. Being able to physically create with his hands, shape the stoic wood, and end up with something that is of both form and function is more satisfying than anything he created while in advertising.

"It just became design by committee, where, by the end of the process, the essence of the idea was completely lost", says Sauer of his former career.

Take a peek into Konrad's studio and hear more about his craft in the video below:

Konrad started by focusing on creating furniture but had a hard time finding the right tools for the job. It was then that he and his former business partner, Joe Steiner, started making hand planes. What began as a hobby quickly escalated into a full-time business, and he's never looked back. Now Konrad has clients all over the world and is commissioned to create planes that push the design of the traditional hand plane. He approaches each piece of work looking to refine his designs, not only from a visual perspective, but also its ergonomics.

"There isn't a logical way to hold [an older plane] so this is something I redesigned. You just plunk your hand on top... it's completely rounded and there are no sharp edges."

We're excited to have Konrad as a part of our lineup this year, rounding out Saturday morning's talks. He'll be bringing a number of planes along too, so be prepared to get hands on!

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