James Krenov ( October 31, 1920 – September 9, 2009 ) was a woodworker and studio furnituremaker.

Jim Krenov was born on October 31, 1920, in the village of Uelen, Siberia, the only child of Dimitri and Julia Krenov.

In 1976, Krenov ’ s first book, “ A Cabinetmaker ’ s Notebook ” was published.

In 1981, Krenov was invited to start the Fine Woodworking Program at the College of the Redwoods in Fort Bragg, California.

Krenov was also highly critical of those who seek " originality " at the expense of well made furniture.

" Krenov really helped re-create an interest in fine woodworking that had largely died out by the 1950s ," says Frank Ramsay, president of the Bay Area Woodworkers Association, " Such a change from the ' make a box, cover it with plywood and paint it ' era of the 1960s.

* A transcript of an interview with Krenov, stored at the Smithsonian Institution

As a young man during World War II, Krenov served as a Russian interpreter for the military when Russian ships docked in Seattle.

They produce sleep ," Krenov said.

Always a writer, Krenov published several articles and a novel chronicling these travels.

A friend in Sweden got Krenov a job building wooden architectural models for a restaurant designer ; later Krenov got himself a spot at the Stockholm design school run by Carl Malmsten, considered the father of Scandinavian furniture design.

Once established as a master woodworker, Krenov also began sharing his expertise.

" Over time, Krenov received numerous requests to document his design philosophy in book format.

Krenov taught and lectured about his approach to woodworking at places such as the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Boston University, UC Santa Cruz, Graz, Austria, as a Fulbright guest at New Zealand ’ s Craft Council, Takayama, Japan, and Anderson Ranch, Colorado.

" I traveled all over the world to talk about my work ," Krenov said.

Krenov died in Fort Bragg, California on September 9, 2009.

Krenov is revered by many craftsmen for his inspiration to bring into one's work simplicity, harmony and above all, a love of wood.

Krenov felt that details such as uniformly rounded edges, perfectly flat surfaces, and sharp corners remove the personal touch from a piece of furniture.

Although he made a living of his craft, Krenov referred to his attitude towards his work as that of an amateur, feeling that the competitive attitude of a professional causes one to compromise one's values as a craftsman.

" Composing, explained Krenov, is reacting to the wood, a continual re-evaluation and improvisation open to wherever the wood takes the composer.

In his cabinets and other pieces, Krenov paid careful attention to variations in woodgrain and color in his search for " harmony " in a piece.

Although Krenov believed machinery has its place in the shop, ( namely to efficiently complete the relatively grueling and crude early stages of stock removal and thicknessing ) he felt an over-dependence on power tools removes the " fingerprints " left on the finished piece that only handwork can leave, and alienates the craftsman from his work.

Krenov criticized the trend in woodworking schools toward the early use of power tools, instead of building a foundation of hand skills.

While five minutes ago the place had presented a scene of easy revelry, with Gyp Carmer a prominent figure, it was now as somnolent and dull as the day before payday.

Even after the incident between Bang-Jensen and Shann in the Delegates' Lounge and this was not the way the Chicago Tribune presented it ''.

And with the publication of E. T. Leeds' Archaeology Of The Anglo-Saxon Settlements the student was presented with an organized synthesis of the archaeological data then known.

When it was not, one of the great dramas of Washington would be presented.

An excellent summary of advantages concerning the uniform fiscal year and coordinated fiscal calendars was contained in a paper presented by a public finance authority recently.

An exhibit, `` Macropathology -- An Ancient Art, A New Science '', was presented at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association.

A three-dimensional exhibit depicting `` A Century Of Naval Medicine '' was formally presented to The Director by George S. Squibb, great-grandson of the founder of E. R. Squibb and Sons, for permanent display in the Museum.

Then O'Banion was presented with a platinum watch set with rubies and diamonds.

In any case, anyone who fails to make significant distinction between primary and secondary applications of economic pressure would in principle already have justified that use of economic boycott as a means which broke out a few years ago or was skillfully organized by White Citizens' Councils in the entire state of Mississippi against every local Philco dealer in that state, in protest against a Philco-sponsored program over a national TV network on which was presented a drama showing, it seemed, a `` high yellow gal '' smooching with a white man.

A petition bearing the signatures of more than 1,700 Johnston taxpayers was presented to the town council last night as what is hoped will be the first step in obtaining a home rule charter for the town.

Petitions asking for a jail term for Norristown attorney Julian W. Barnard will be presented to the Montgomery County Court Friday, it was disclosed Tuesday by Horace A. Davenport, counsel for the widow of the man killed last Nov. 1 by Barnard's hit-run car.

Dan Beam presented music and the bride was given in marriage by her father.

When the Achaeans entertained Wednesday last at their annual Carnival masquerade ball, Miss Margaret Pierson was chosen to rule over the festivities, presented at the Muncipal Auditorium and chosen as her ladies in waiting were Misses Clayton Nairne, Eleanor Eustis, Lynn Chapman, Irwin Leatherman of Robinsonville, Miss. and Helene Rowley.

The disagreement was over what Dr. Jenkins had said at a previous session and how his remarks appeared in the minutes presented at the following meeting.

A check for $4,177.37 representing the last payment of a $50,000 federal grant to Rhode Island Hospital was presented to the hospital administrator, Oliver G. Pratt, yesterday by Governor Notte.

The gift is being presented by `` heirs and descendants of the Rutherford family of New Jersey, whose famous estate, `` Tranquility '', was located near the Duncan Phyfe workshop at Andover, N. J..

What Herter presented, said Gore, was `` not a very encouraging review ''.

The work was presented as the final event in the Town Hall Festival of Music.

Generally speaking the appellate court examines the record of evidence presented in the trial court and the law that the lower court applied and decides whether that decision was legally sound or not.

Generally, there is no trial in an appellate court, only consideration of the record of the evidence presented to the trial court and all the pre-trial and trial court proceedings are reviewed — unless the appeal is by way of re-hearing, new evidence will usually only be considered on appeal in " very " rare instances, for example if that material evidence was unavailable to a party for some very significant reason such as prosecutorial misconduct.

In 1960, Nicholas Poppe presented what was in effect a heavily revised version of Ramstedt ’ s volume on phonology that has since set the standard in Altaic studies.

On departure for Lambaréné in 1913 he was presented with a pedal piano, a piano with pedal attachments ( to operate like an organ pedal-keyboard ).

It was presented by early 20th century anthropologists, including Frank Hamilton Cushing, J. Walter Fewkes and Alfred V. Kidder.

During that tour a small terracotta urn was presented to England captain Ivo Bligh by a group of Melbourne women.