On December 29, 2024, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter passed away.
Carter is often remembered as the one-term president who spent a year negotiating the release of American hostages during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. This event drew considerable criticism and is widely believed to have contributed to his defeat by Ronald Reagan in the subsequent election.
Younger generations might recognize him as the former president who co-founded the Carter Center with his wife, Rosalynn Carter. This nongovernmental and nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting peace and fighting diseases. With a hammer in hand, he also became a stalwart supporter of Habitat for Humanity. All this led to him being honored with a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian efforts.
Among his lasting legacies—brokering peace in developing nations, building houses for underserved communities, serving as the 39th president of a powerful nation—one might argue that this is the most relatable feat yet: working by hand and enjoying the simple pleasure it brings.
Carter, in addition to his stellar credentials as a politician and man of the people, was a wood craftsman—fine furniture at that. The White House Historical Association described him as a “master woodworker.”
The former president built furniture by hand. As though this was not an accomplishment enough, he also limited himself to using traditional tools, those that were available during colonial times.
“There is something satisfying about working on a shaving horse using the most basic equipment, such as a knife, froes, adzes, hatches, drawknives, spokeshaves, and a stovepipe for steaming and bending,” he said in an essay he wrote for the Fine Woodworking magazine in 2004.
At the time of writing, Carter had handcrafted more than 100 pieces, some of which were auctioned off at the annual fundraisers for The Carter Center. The pieces of furniture he created included cedar chests that feature hand-cut dovetails, a chess table with hand-carved chess pieces, and an array of much larger projects such as four-poster beds and cabinets of various designs.
Many other pieces were gifted to close friends and family; a notable project was the cradle with woven straw side panels that took him 120 hours to complete.
Image by WikiImages from Pixabay. You can view the Woodworking of President Jimmy Carter here.
In the essay, Carter shared that as he prepared to leave the White House, the cabinet officers and staff collected money for his going-away present, enough to buy him a Jeep. But he hinted that he wanted something else.
“…they gave me a gift certificate for woodworking tools. It has been the most enjoyable gift I’ve ever received,” said Carter.
Woodworking was not a hobby that Carter suddenly picked up to fill his days post-presidency. He grew up in the remote farming town of Plains, Georgia, in a home that had no electricity. His own father did the building and repairs on the house himself, even made many of the hand tools they use, and was an expert blacksmith to boot. So, it was hardly any surprise that as soon as young Carter was physically able, he was introduced to the craft.
“Since I was a child, woodworking has played an important role in my life. It has given me a sense of belonging and a connection to a wide-ranging and dedicated fellowship,” he recounted in the essay.
Later on, in the early years of his married life when he was a navy officer, Carter furnished by hand the apartment he shared with Rosalyn—beds, tables, and many other pieces of furniture. He did the same when he moved back to Plains, handcrafting furniture and using the only tools available to him at the time: a handsaw, hammer, drawknife, and an auger and bits.
“I made some couches, lounges, and tables that we still use every day,” he wrote.
As expected of a true woodworker, Carter cherished the lasting impression of hard work, felt and appreciated even in the years to come—which is not entirely different from his political work in advancing democracy and human rights.
“The feelings of continuity and timelessness the craft has brought me are most gratifying. I know that some of my pieces will be used for many generations in the future, and yet there is also a strong connection with the past,” said Carter.
The country mourns the death of a former president, and rightfully so. But anyone who appreciates woodworking—and the true and almost rare skill that comes with slowly creating a piece by hand—also recognizes the loss of a master craftsman.