I met Dave Turner, the man behind the Wooden Whale Company, at his seaside shed turned studio overlooking Hyannis harbor on one a rare sunny day this spring.
He was surrounded by whales in various degrees of completion and swathes of various types of wood from olive to cherry to pine. He admits that he had to change his work surface to face away from the water to keep focused.
Dave Turner creates wooden whales from his home in Hyannis.
In a previous life, he spent his days holed up in the Pentagon working for various Secretaries of Defense and although I couldn’t get too many details, he promised me this is so much more fun than his previous job!
Back on the Cape, a wood working hobby turned into The Wooden Whale Company. I asked why whales? He admits he doesn’t have a good reason why he chose whales or why he even started creating them.
He put a few online and was surprised at the response, “It was weird how it took off. I knew I’d sell some at least to a neighbor or something. But as soon as I found Instagram, it’s hilarious what markets you can hit all over the world”. He receives comments by the hundreds from all over the world. He now mainly creates to orders and has a hard time keeping up, “I’ve been so busy with the Sperm whales. I need to put up a Humpback whale. Everyone asks are you going to make a Humpback, but so far I’m so busy with these.”
He put a few online and was surprised at the response, “It was weird how it took off. I knew I’d sell some at least to a neighbor or something. But as soon as I found Instagram, it’s hilarious what markets you can hit all over the world”. He receives comments by the hundreds from all over the world. He now mainly creates to orders and has a hard time keeping up, “I’ve been so busy with the Sperm whales. I need to put up a Humpback whale. Everyone asks are you going to make a Humpback, but so far I’m so busy with these.”
For the past 18 months, he’s been churning out whales from his home and sending them around the world: Japan, Germany, Mexico, England, Canada and across the USA. His customers adore the work. He receives pictures of his whales now proudly displayed on customer’s walls. They express their appreciation in other ways as well. He’s received postcards, thank you letters, even gifts.
Every piece he creates is unique. He says it’s quiet work. Sometimes relaxing and sometimes frustrating. As he begins to turn the wood, it develops its own personality. He says he can see the whale immediately, for the rest of us we can watch them develop on his daily Instagram posts.
Instagram.com/thewoodenwhaleco
By Rebecca Romo, Lifestyle Reporter CapeCod.com
About Rebecca Romo
