Heartwood

A personal woodcarver's reference

Ted Merrill

Ted Merrill, a lifelong physician and surgeon, writes from 80 years of woodcarving experience, and his style is clear, honest, and captivating. His journey with wood began when, as a young boy, he first applied a pocket knife to a piece of pine. Since then, he has often recorded his observations about the varieties of wood he encountered.

Heartwood: A personal woodcarver’s reference is part technical manual, part design guide, and part storyteller’s homage to the art and craft of woodcarving. It draws us into Ted's experience of the woods he has encountered, and also into our own intimate connections to the materials around us.

Ted passed away in 2013 at the age of 90. Heartwood is his fourth and last book.