A lumberjack of all trades one on one with the Sun

Jakob Stadler is living his dream job creating sculptures and furniture from wood.

Jakob, 41, came to Blenheim from Uri, central Switzerland 10 years ago on a working visa in forestry. His occupation on the visa stipulated ‘steep slope logging specialist’. Alliteration indeed.

A pathway in forestry as a 16-year-old apprentice (three years) enabled Jakob to develop many skills working with wood. Working in the industry for 17 years in Switzerland, Jakob developed skills and accuracy with chain saws and other tools. Since being in New Zealand Jakob spent a year working as an arborist with Steve Bell who at the time owned Tremendous Trees.

built utilising timber he milled on his sawmill from the pines and poplars ‘out the back’ off the property.

A chance encounter with local veterinarian David Sim helped with networking and applying his skillset.

“David was cutting some macrocarpa trees down on his property. One day he came out to the ranch and asked if I wanted some free wood. So I ended up with a truck load of logs. The timber was great and I started to make furniture out of it,” he says. He has since set up his own business. Jakob Stadler Woodcraft Est 2020 doing tree work, milling, building furniture and creating chainsaw carvings for customers. His carvings have sold all around the country. Next month he is off to Christchurch to do a three by two metre carving commission in an enormous macrocarpa tree stump. Jakob says he enjoys forging hinges and handles for his hand crafted furniture.

A ‘normal day’ for the woodwork enthusiast involves many different jobs. “I get up at about 8am,” he laughs. “Then I feed all the animals at the ranch, check the fences and do any maintenance. Then it’s into the workshop, milling, or off to do a tree job often not finishing til 7:30pm.”

“It was fun and took me back to my time in Switzerland climbing trees. Being an arborist I’m able to source good timber for my woodworking which I can mill up and process,” he says.

Jakob and wife Katie own and operate Walnut Ranch Riding School and Animal Park in David Street, Springlands. The stables, yards and gates and animal shelters at the ranch were

“The open days and riding school at the ranch mean people have seen the work I’ve done including the deck on the house and the stables and animal shelters all built with a Swiss touch. People appreciate the work which is great.”

When asked where he gets his skillset and ability from he credits his parents, especially his Dad and the ‘woodwork DNA’.

“Dad was self-taught and did carpentry and built furniture. My (three) brothers are also into woodwork, one of them builds kitchens and stairs. I was in Dad’s workshop as a child and would play with off cuts of wood and probably annoyed him a bit.”

“Before Covid I had my brothers out to help me build the new workshop at the ranch which includes a large 9m x 14m woodworking storage and wood storage bays.”

He says he takes great pride in the tables he designs due to spending a ‘great deal of time on the finishing’.

“I sand them so they’re smooth and edge them. They often look like an indoor table as opposed to an outdoor one. I use Danish oil for the finished look.”

So how does he know he has a good piece of wood?

“Mainly with the eye. When it’s felled you can see if there are any defects. That’s what I learnt in Switzerland. The slower the wood takes to grow, the better the quality. I have the ability to always find a way to fix a piece of work if something goes wrong, I work it out somehow.”

Community events like the Garden

Marlborough Fete, the Mistletoe Market and the Heritage Day at Brayshaw Park have given Jakob the opportunity to showcase his designs and wares to the greater Marlborough community.

Jakob displays a real sense of Swiss humility when asked what the best part of his job is.

“The ability to take my time on a project and get immersed in the creativity and the love of wood. The satisfaction is the people who enjoy my work and appreciate the craftsmanship.”

Living his dream indeed.