TFG Events & Workshops

Jack Sobon

Jack A. Sobon: Architect

A Fork in the Road
Woodworkers of all types, in much of the world, and in every age, have utilized natural tree forms in their work. Rather than bending or jointing straight sections to create the required curves, the necessary shape was found in the tree. Forked tree sections are especially useful and were probably incorporated in the very first primitive timber structures.

Mr. Sobon will present an overview of forked components surviving in historical timber buildings, ship building, and in other wooden devices of the past. He will speak of his own lifelong fascination with curved natural timber components expressed in his Organic Medieval Revival work. Finally, he will showcase those individuals and companies working in the craft today that make use of those beautiful, natural, and very useful tree shapes.

Mr. Sobon is an architect and builder specializing in the repair of historic timber framed buildings and the design and construction of new, traditional ones. He has an architecture degree from Rhode Island School of Design and was initiated into the craft of timber framing in 1976 by a contractor working with old barns. To further his understanding of the craft, since 1980 he has constructed over fifty timber framed structures using only traditional hand tools and in many cases starting right in the forest.

He has taught over 70 workshops using historic methods and is the author of four books on the craft including Build a Classic Timber Framed House, Historic American Timber Joinery, and Hand Hewn. He is a founding director of the Timber Framers Guild of North America and an original member of the Traditional Timberframe Research and Advisory Group, an offshoot of the Guild.

He lives in the forested hills of Western Massachusetts.