Robert Haase
woodworker
Born in Seattle, but North Carolinian since age seven, Iʼve lived all over this country, but moved back here to Asheville just five years ago. It was 1974 when I first engaged in serious woodworking as apprentice to Peter Kramer, but soon had my own shop and though Iʼve had a few careers in between, have been a woodworker all these years.
Trained in and student of traditional tools and technique, I have learned and continue to learn much from proper restoration of fine antiques for collectors, both private and institutional. My custom furniture designs are certainly informed by early methods, but I do embrace modern power tools-much less expensive than finding, feeding and housing apprentices. I often tell prospective clients that if they have a sketch, photo, or verbal description of a piece of furniture, I can turn their dream into reality, working in any style or period to build a piece to be proud of, which will become a family heirloom.
I also teach fine woodworking at John C. Campbell Folk School two sessions per year and have an on-going weekly teaching program at Asheville Park & Recʼs Harvest House Community Center in the Kenilworth neighborhood. I to encourage my students to learn the joy of using hand planes, spokeshaves and scrapers, which I think helps them master the machine equivalent.
