Initially, the Arts and Crafts movement developed in reaction to the use of less-than-ideal manufacturing methods, reliance upon machinery and use of inferior materials. In keeping with the Arts and Crafts philosophy, Kessler Craftsman furniture, frames and lamps feature the finest materials available.

• Solid Hard Wood - The most common hardwoods used in Kessler Craftsman furniture, frames and lamps are Quarter-sawn White Oak, American Black Cherry, Black Walnut, Hard Rock Maple, and African Ebony. Highly figured woods such as Curly Cherry, Fiddleback Maple, Birds Eye Maple and Curly Walnut are also used, although these are more expensive due to their rarity. Regardless of the selected wood(s), I hand-select each kiln-dried board for its figure, color and grain pattern in order to achieve the desire "look and feel" of the commissioned piece.

Table of Common Hardwoods used by the Kessler Craftsman

Type of Hardwood	Distinguishing Characteristics	Image
Quarter-sawn White Oak	The classic traditional wood for Arts and Crafts furniture. This is one of the most stable woods. When quartersawn and dyed/stained correctly, a beautiful "ray fleck" figure appears. May be toned from light reddish brown to very, very dark brown.
American Black Cherry	Cherry is an incredible wood used for fine furniture. This wood has much finer pores than Oak and results in a much finer finish. Generally a reddish brown, some figure is fairly common.
Black Walnut	Black walnut may be used for accents (butterfly keys, Mitre splines, pins) or for whole pieces. This is a fairly dark, traditional hardwood that is one of America?s most beautiful.
Hard Rock Maple	This very fine-grained light wood is rarely used for Arts & Crafts furniture; it tends to have a very contemporary, modern look. It is commonly used for drawers, accents and may be "ebonized" black for drawer pulls and other accents.
African Ebony	Ebony is a very, very dense, black hardwood used generally for accents and small pieces due to its? extremely high cost. This may be used for door pulls, pyramid plugs, pins, etc. This usually has no figure whatsoever.
Curly Cherry	Curly cherry is a somewhat rare wood that is extremely beautiful, but also expensive. Modern manufacturers utilize much cheaper Poplar with a very dark, reddish brown stain that they call a "Cherry" finish. This is not real cherry! Curly cherry may be used for accents or for full pieces. Generally this wood is reddish in color with very fine grain. Over time, Cherry darkens with exposure to ultraviolet light.
Fiddleback Maple	Like other maples, this is a beautifully figured variety of wood suited for musical instruments, small boxes, or for accents. It may be used for furniture pieces, but tends to have a very modern, contemporary appearance.
Birds Eye Maple	Birds Eye Maple, like other maples is a very fine-grained, hard, light wood. The figure in Birds Eye Maple looks like hundreds of small specks or circles. Generally used for small pieces , for unusually extravagant modern pieces, or for musical instruments.
Curly Walnut	This is a highly figured version of American Black Walnut. This is a dark, fine hardwood that is incredibly beautiful. The "curl" is somewhat elusive so this wood commands premium prices.

• Stained Glass - I work with local and national art glass suppliers and hand-select art glass for your stained glass lamp or panel. I can work with colored, transparent cathedral glass and opaque art glass in a variety of patterns and textures. For architectural and cabinetry installations, I offer many choices of clear glass including restoration glass, clear seedy glass and clear patterned glass. Depending on my vision and your requirements, your commission can be built utilizing lead came, lead-free came or copper-foil Tiffany methods.

Table of Common Glasses used by the Kessler Craftsman

Stained Glass Options	Distinguishing Characteristics	Image
Clear "Seedy" Glass	Description to come
Clear/Colored Waterglass	Description to come
Colored Cathedral Glass	Description to come
Rough Rolled Cathedral Glass	Description to come
Opaque Glass	Description to come
Baroque Glass	Description to come
Leaded Glass Joints	Description to come
Tiffany Style Joints	Description to come
Beveled Glass	Description to come