Matt Thomas is a wood crafter and metal artist in Shock, West Virginia
The son of a union carpenter, Matt was always interested in construction work and early-on dreamed of being a self-employed woodworker and craftsman. Construction work was a practical mode of employment for several years, before Matt learned blacksmithing by apprenticing with internationally recognized blacksmith John Fetty in Spencer, WV. He didn’t give up woodworking but began to combine both crafts, eventually pivoting from construction to woodworking and furniture making.
Matt was honored by in the Tamarack Foundation, an organization that assists young craftspeople. After recovering from a construction-related accident, the foundation helped him to find outlets to sell his artisan products. “My full-time woodworking business literally started by accident.” The Tamarack Foundation partnered with the WV Department of Commerce to send eight West Virginia artisans to the Buyer’s Market of American Craft 2012 in Philadelphia to expose artisan entrepreneurs to gallery owners from across the United States and beyond. Matt formed ThomasWork to shine a bright light on Appalachia.
Today, ThomasWork is a sustainable family business, where Matt, his wife Terri, and their four children work together to produce beautiful objects sourced from local materials.
Some of our favorite creations include:
- BOOKMARKS: Laser cut with a crisp tree design, all bookmarks are made with Appalachian hardwoods, walnut and Sycamore.
- CUTTING BOARDS: Made with cherry hardwood lumber and sealed with a custom blend of beeswax and food safe mineral oil with ample space for food preparation and presentation.
- CHERRY WOOD BUTTER DISH AND SPREADER: Not only beautiful, but functional.
- SALT & PEPPER GRINDER HOLDERS Made from Maple and Walnut woods, They can be used for our grinders, or to serve loose salt and pepper.
Find ThomasWork on the web and social on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter
Proud to be included in curated Appalachian Mercantile subscription boxes. from J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works.
The Cook’s Cook in Partnership with Appalachian Mercantile
Jeff Fetty provided me with an education that would rival any paid college education. We worked on elaborate projects, attended blacksmithing conferences nationwide, got lost in the painted desert of Arizona and watched bull fighting at the Plaza de Toros Las Ventas in Madrid, Spain.
