ABOUT

Why We Build

Some careers are measured in quarters.

Others are measured in generations.

For more than three decades, I worked in international business, helping companies build relationships and navigate complex challenges across North America and Asia.

Long before that, I learned to work with my hands beside my father — a carpenter who taught me that craftsmanship isn't just about beauty. It's about making something that lasts.

Along the way, I saw the same truth again and again. The strongest organizations — businesses, law enforcement units, veteran groups, private clubs — are built on trust, shared identity, and traditions that outlast any one person.

Those lessons never left me.

Eventually I found myself wanting to build something different. Not another report or presentation, but something people would actually keep — something that could sit on a desk, in a clubhouse, or around a table for decades, carrying the stories of the people who owned it.

That idea became Canyon Crest Woodworks.

Built to Last

Every commission begins with solid American walnut — chosen not only for its beauty, but for its permanence. Walnut develops character through years of use, becoming richer with time rather than wearing out.

I believe the objects we value most should do the same.

Each piece is designed, engraved, hand-finished, and assembled in my workshop in Mission Viejo, California — traditional woodworking technique alongside modern precision tools. The goal is never to make another product. The goal is to create something worthy of becoming an heirloom.

Detail shot — walnut grain, brass tools

Why Ashtrays?

People often ask why I build ashtrays.

The answer has very little to do with cigars.

An ashtray is where conversations happen. Promotions are celebrated. Friendships deepen. Stories are shared. It's often the quiet centerpiece around which memories are made.

That makes it the perfect object to carry identity, history, and meaning.

Whether a piece functions as an ashtray, a commemorative medallion, or a custom legacy object, its real purpose is always the same: to preserve something worth remembering.

Every Piece Begins with a Story

Some commissions begin with a badge. Others begin with a favorite fishing island, a station mural, a family ranch, a classic automobile, or the place where lifelong friends gather every summer.

Every commission begins with a conversation.

Together, we transform those memories into handcrafted walnut pieces — designed to be used, displayed, and ultimately passed from one generation to the next.

Because the object is never the point.

The story it carries is.