Nathan Will turned Fiddlesticks Woodwerx from a humble hobby into a full-blown business
It all started with a she-shed.
“I built a potting shed for my wife, Heather, so that she could use it for storage,” says Fiddlesticks Woodwerx co-founder Nathan Witt. “And that was the birth of Fiddlesticks. I built the shed to keep myself busy while recovering from a work-related injury, and I’ve been going ever since.”
Witt still has his day job, though, as a machinist toolmaker in Simpsonville, something he’s been doing for more than 30 years. But Fiddlesticks Woodwerx, which started as a hobby about eight years ago, has taken root before his and Heather’s eyes.
“When the house started filling up with my little wooden creations, Heather told me, ‘It’s time to start selling [them].’”
Fiddlesticks sources wood from burn piles and woodchippers. They also repurpose discarded wood from arborists, tree services, sawmills, and scrappers.
“That’s the core of the business—keeping local wood out of the landfill or from being turned into mulch,” Witt says. “We saved a lot of wood coming out of Hurricane Helene. Hardwoods, mostly—maple, cherry, magnolia, walnut, box elder.”
Fiddlesticks Shed
Working out of a 12-foot-by-20-foot shed at his home in Taylors, Witt transforms all those downed trees and discarded scrap wood into little works of art—Christmas ornaments, snowmen, wooden salt and pepper mills, charcuterie boards, cheese boards and knives, and other kitchen items.
“I like to call it usable art,” he says. “As more people move away from plastics, they’re in search of wooden items that are nontoxic. Especially spoons, serving utensils, ice cream scoops, and pizza cutters. It’s quite a large variety.”
The Tennessee native started woodworking as a young boy. “My dad did woodwork, and so did my grandfather,” Witt explains. “I’d make small things like wooden toolboxes. That’s how it started for me.”
During high school, he carved duck decoys and figurines with the help of his shop teacher. “I really started turning wood in that shop class, along with woodcarving, and just really enjoyed it. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
The woodworker pauses when asked what he enjoys making the most.
“I enjoy it all, but my favorite time of year is Christmas. I love making ornaments and signature snowmen,” he says. “At Christmas, we travel with a lathe to some of the Christmas markets and let kids pick out a block of wood that I turn into an ornament or a snowman. It’s the pleasure of seeing the kids light up.”
And for him, it’s good therapy.
“Being a machinist toolmaker can be a stressful, exacting job with tight tolerances and deadlines,” he shares. “But woodworking is relaxing. You can start and turn anything you want out of a piece of wood, and it can change at any time. It’s very freeing.”
Holiday Flea
Fiddlesticks Woodwerx will be one of the featured artisans at Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery’s Holiday Flea, 205 Cedar Lane Rd., Greenville, December 20, 10a.m.–3p.m.
