Huizbirn "About me" section

01

Who is behind “Huizbirn”?

Here you'll find some facts and information about who I am and what motivates me to create my art.

02

To the history

Nature, trees, and wood have always fascinated me. Perhaps it's also due to a certain hereditary predisposition, as my grandfather was a trained carpenter and ran a small farm. In any case, as a child, I followed him everywhere or accompanied him on his green Steyr 15 tractor. Whether mowing, harvesting hay, feeding the animals, or working with wood. Due to a lack of interest, and perhaps also because of my grandfather's early death, manual labor took a backseat. However, my interest in trees and plants remained, even though I didn't really know what to do with it.

01

Who is behind “Huizbirn”?

Here you'll find some facts and information about who I am and what motivates me to create my art.

02

To the history

Nature, trees, and wood have always fascinated me. Perhaps it's also due to a certain hereditary predisposition, as my grandfather was a trained carpenter and ran a small farm. In any case, as a child, I followed him everywhere or accompanied him on his green Steyr 15 tractor. Whether mowing, harvesting hay, feeding the animals, or working with wood. Due to a lack of interest, and perhaps also because of my grandfather's early death, manual labor took a backseat. However, my interest in trees and plants remained, even though I didn't really know what to do with it.

The beginnings

In 2015, due to building a house, I was forced to delve into the world of woodworking. Then one day, the idea struck me to sand down tree trunks and use them as wooden plant stands in my new home. This rekindled my creative passion for working with wood. Eventually, I decided to make my own wall clock for our kitchen-dining area. The idea came to me to craft it from a tree slice. After some tinkering, I succeeded to my satisfaction – the clock still hangs in the dining area today, reminding me daily of my beginnings. Before long, I realized there was genuine interest in my wall clocks. I promptly decided to put my small business on hold and register a small craft business. With each new wall clock I made, new ideas kept coming, and my product range grew.

Whether it's wooden ballpoint pens , wooden fountain pens , wooden bowls , wooden spice mills and much more - I take joy in every wooden gift I make and want to pass this joy on to my customers.

... and suddenly you're turning!

Finally, I came across the topic of “turning” through various videos, which quickly aroused my curiosity.

Through a friend, I accidentally came across an ancient, self-made lathe that could hardly be described as such. Despite initial problems and inadequate equipment, the topic immediately captivated me.

After more detailed research, I quickly decided to buy a Hans Schreiner table lathe. Since several hundred euros had to be invested here, I wasn't at all sure about it, but I quickly picked up the lathe from the Holzprofi company in Pöllau.

This was followed by initial attempts, lots of videos and further internet research - and further investments such as turning irons, turning chucks, drill chucks, drills, kits and much more.

A woodturning course at the Neureiter company with “Holzmichl” Michael Wagner, who is well-known in the scene, followed in order to acquire the basic knowledge in a professional environment.

After turning long wood and decorative objects, other ideas gradually came, such as wooden bottle openers , wooden wine stoppers and wooden writing instruments . Attempts at turning wood in crossbars, as well as bowls and plates, followed.

What is important to me...

What brings me the greatest joy is the thought that each of my products will normally bring someone else great joy and a smile to their face! That's why I place particular importance on the quality of my products. For example, that locally sourced wood is used, the surface is cleanly finished, and the products are surface-treated according to their intended use – namely, exclusively food-safe or untreated!

And finally...

The best thing about my hobby is definitely that my two sons and my wife already enjoy it as a way to unwind. My wife Elisabeth, in particular, supports me tirelessly – something I can't thank her enough for. I hope I can continue my craft for many years to come – and above all, without injury – and bring joy to many more customers.

it goes on...

After about two years, I increasingly realized that the small Hans Schreiner lathe offered too little power, too little weight, and a center height that was now too short. Therefore, I decided to invest more this time. I purchased a Drechselmeister Twister-FU-180 benchtop model from the Neureiter company in Söding.

... and now?

After all these years, the hobby and my important way to unwind has remained and is indispensable - even though I am now a proud father of 2 wonderful sons.

Time is short, but especially in the evenings I find the opportunity to indulge in my favorite pastime.

My products are now available on various platforms and marketplaces such as Regionalis , Shöpping , Etsy, and Amazon Handmade . I also work with various brick-and-mortar partners, such as...