‘Nail’ Cabinet
Woodworker: Garry Bennett
The infamous “Nail” Cabinet by Oakland, Calif. furniture maker Garry Knox Bennett became a landmark in furniture history when it was featured on the back cover of Fine Woodworking in September 1980. Standing 6-ft. tall in solid padauk, this showcase cabinet features curved glass and an intricate system of catches and latches hidden inside. But it’s most notable feature is the bent nail driven through the cabinet’s top door.
Bennett told Fine Woodworking in 1980: “from the start I planned to make the precious thing less precious.” But when the cabinet was finished, Bennett admitted he didn’t want to follow through. “I liked it too much,” he said, “but I had to stay with my plan.” So he hammered a few practice nails into padauk scrap, took a deep breath, and whacked the nail.
Photo: M. Lee Fatherree
Comments
Boy, do I have mixed feelings about this. It's his piece and, since he apparently has an aversion to unplanned imperfection, he feels he must be the one to personally "Imperfect" his work. Which, in a way, strikes me as being in league (on the same level) as "Beauty Marks" applied with makeup. As a guitarist and former Guitar Doctor for Stars Guitars in San Francisco, I know something about exotic woods and really appreciate their beauty, strengths and character. Then again, I've seen up close and personal the results of how some musicians treat some very expensive and, in some cases, irreplaceable, instruments. The best I can say is: "That's why they mark towels 'His' and 'Hers'. Everybody's different". -Wm. Moses "Billy" Roberts who wrote "Hey Joe".
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