Thread: Where to see woodwork etc in France & Italy??

For ceramics it is worth going to Deruta, near Perugia and Assisi

Claw, get in touch with Claude -La Truciolara - in Verona. He will know. Claude is a wonderful turner and a great bloke. He likes Vicmarc lathes and in fact sells them.

Thanks guys I will follow up on those, great start thank you.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

Hi Guys & Girls
any of you Woodies knew where to see woodwork, arts carafts, ceramics etc in these places.

I reckon you could spend all your time in Florence and still need more.
good travels

Originally Posted by underfoot

I reckon you could spend all your time in Florence and still need more.
good travels

True!!!

Yes guys, Florence is high on the list, have spent some time there in the past but I was hopping for a small village tucked away somewhere, where the small scale work happens quietly, terracotta pottery, ironwork, woodwork etc rather than the fine ornate painted ceramics etc. The sort of work where you can still see a chisel or hammer mark.

Another thought - why not go to the UK Workshop forums and ask them - plenty of Brits take holidays in France and Italy.

Also, why not visit the new place where they are making the Auriou rasps in France?

That's what I thought and why I tried it first, didn't get much of a responce. So thought I would try the best forum. Rasps, I'll look into it, thanks Jeremy.

Here is the Auriou rasps website:
Home

Claw

When in Paris you could have a look at some great examples of fine craftsmanship in the chairs, tables, cabinets, panels etc in the Decorative Arts section of Musée d’Orsay.

The Museum is undergoing renovations and I understand while this is happening, their displays will be/have been reduced. Check out their web site.

Also right in the heart of Paris directly opposite L’Hôtel de Ville (the Town Hall) in Rue de Rivoli, there is a huge hardware store in the basement of a department store called BHV (which stands for Bazaar d’Hôtel de Ville).

It is a Bunnings-like establishment and they sell many hand tools, power tools etc. You will find the prices are dearer than for like items in Australia, which I have also found to be the case in other European countries.

But if you need to stock up on slotted brass screws for cabinet hinges etc, they sell them loose by the dizaine (ten).

It’s a great place to spend a few hours.

Excellent Therapy, we will be in Paris for 3 or 4 days so I'm sure I can get a bit of quality time in those spots, thanks for the tips.

Into the history of handtools? The Museum of Craft Tools and Work in Troyes looks excellent, with a wide ranging collection. I've visited the website a number of times, so would be even better in the flesh.

Cheers

Andy that would have been fantastic but the only week of the whole year it's closed is the week I'm in France bugqer. Never mind nice try. Like you said good web site.