Handcrafted America: Season 2
Season 2 Premieres Oct. 21st at 9:30p ET

Koa Chess Sets

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William McMahon Willy’s Woodworks

Hawaii  |  Koa Chess Sets  |  Website

Hidden on a mountain in Volcano, Hawaii, live Bill McMahon and his wife. The retired teacher still coaches cross-country, but he can usually be found on his deck turning wood. He is passionate about making functional art, and to his knowledge, is the only one in the world making genuine Koa chess sets by hand. Each set is one-of-a-kind with its own theme and style. With an intense attention to detail, he eyeballs each piece so that they are consistent and seamless with the entire set.


GET TO KNOW WILLIAM

What drew you to your chosen craft?

An old friend gave me a lathe and it turned out to be, (no pun intended), the perfect way to occupy my time and meditate at a time when I needed to do just that.

What do you enjoy most about your craft?

The surprise in what comes off the lathe almost every time I turn. That and I get to jam out to whatever kind of music I want to listen to. The music sometimes influences the art.

Why is it important for people to make things with their own hands?

Same reason it is important for us to walk around on the earth in our bare feet, (by earth I mean dirt, rocks and grass not concrete or asphalt). It’s good to stay/keep physically connected the universe around us.  

What does the future hold for your type of work?

It feels as though there is a growing segment of us looking for original, non-mass-produced utilitarian art that last. Make something original, beautiful, that doesn’t need to be replaced every six months and people get it.  


Leather Chinks, Koa Chess Sets, Weathervanes

EPISODESCHEDULE

WEATHERVANES | LEATHER CHINKS

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