Individual Details
Walter Ray FURR
(13 Oct 1936 - )
Father and son carve a tradition
By Holly Fesperman
Salisbury Post
Walter Furr, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, blue overalls and a hat, was sitting on a stool in his woodcarving shop unfazed by the heat and humidity of a July morning. Walter was talking with his son, Mickey, about times when work was plentiful at their business, M&W Wood Products on U.S. 73 in Albemarle. The two remember when not too long ago they were swamped with calls for jobs, struggling to fill every request. "The pattern work has been real good to me up until about two years ago," Walter said. Among other woodworking specialties, Walter and Mickey make patterns for furniture companies. When a company has an idea of what they would like to mass produce, someone has to make the first piece. That's where Walter and Mickey come in. The furniture company sends them the blueprints for a piece of furniture and they build it to the specifications, doing all the woodcarving by hand. After the first piece is finished, the company can program their factory computers to copy the intricate carvings and mass produce the piece of furniture. There isn't as much demand for pattern work as there used to be. "It was like somebody cut a spigot off almost," Mickey said. Since the furniture industry went to China, people can buy imported furniture much cheaper than American-made, Mickey said. Mickey and Walter said they can't compete with furniture prices from overseas. An imported bedroom suite might cost $1,500. With lumber prices at about $5 a board foot, Mickey and his father can't make one nearly that cheaply. On the other hand, Walter and Mickey's handmade bedroom suite would be one of a kind. "The only difference between my stuff and an antique is mine ain't old enough yet," said Mickey. The father and son use dovetail and finger joints instead of the nails and butt joints used by most modern-day furniture makers. Walter, now 68, started whittling wood when he was only 6 years old and made his first carvings at 14. Some of his first pieces included a small goat and a man with a cowboy hat. He never took a carving class, but nonetheless became skilled. "I reckon that's what I was gifted with," said Walter. Although he was talented in woodcarving, his first job was at Cannon Mills Plant 6. Everybody went to work at the mill back then, said Walter. He didn't own a car and rode the mill bus to work and home again every day for about a year. The next year, Walter got a new job at a local chicken farm, married and had his first daughter. Chicken farming wasn't for him, either. He stayed there only about a year and a half before moving to Paige's Church Furniture in Albemarle. Walter carved collection plates and communion rails for 75 cents an hour — that was back in 1956. He didn't have to wait long for a raise. Paige's gave him an extra 25 cents an hour before his first paycheck was cut. During his 16 years at Paige's, Walter started carving his own pieces on the side in his basement. He started getting work from area furniture manufacturers, including Young Manufacturing in Norwood and Councill Craftsmen in Denton. By the time he quit Paige's Church Furniture in 1974, he had more than eight hours of work a day at his new shop behind his home. Paige's still called him back from time to time if they needed someone with special skills. Walter has worked between 10 and 12 hours a day nearly all his life. "When you enjoy your job, it's not work," he said. Walter admits he can't work in the shop as long as he used to and requires a break now and then. In the 1970s, right after he left Paige's, the pattern business was booming. Walter was making patterns for names like Broyhill, Pulaski, Ridgeway Clock and Bassett. In 1978, Mickey started working with his father in the family business, which gave Walter another employee to help meet the high demand. The two got into some restoration work in addition to the pattern work Walter had been doing for years. Several years ago, Reynolda House (the historic homeplace of R.J. Reynolds located in Winston-Salem) was shopping around for a carver to make some early 1900s-style reproductions when they called Council Craft to ask about their services. The employee who spoke with Reynolda House officials recommended Walter and Mickey for the job. Reynolda House told Mickey and Walter they were looking to restore the original carved lion feet on the couch in the main hallway of the home. The goal was to restore all furnishings to reflect the style during the era when R.J. Reynolds and his family occupied the home. After Walter and Mickey submitted a sketch of the lion foot, Reynolda House staff liked what they saw and asked them to make a prototype. The prototype was accepted, and M&W Wood Products made the replacement feet on the main hall couch that visitors see today. They've also made other pieces for Reynolda House, such as intricate smoking stands, plant stands and small tables. Walter described how he takes a rough piece of wood and makes it into a highly decorated piece. "You want a good piece of wood to start with unless you want it to turn out bad," he said. Before he begins carving on the wood, he makes a sketch of what the finished product will look like. "You have to come up with an idea of what you want to make first." Walter said he learned to sketch in school before he started carving. He cuts the wood into a rough shape and then transfers the sketch to the wood so he'll have lines to carve by. A variety of chisels are used to achieve a finished look. "Hand work is slow," said Walter. Mickey and Walter don't make many mistakes, but when they do sometimes they're fixable and sometimes they must start all over on a new piece of wood. Mickey says no one sees his mistakes. "I run it through the heater and nobody knows!" Back in 1983, Walter and Mickey were featured on "Carolina Camera," an old WBTV feature show, when they made 14 chairs for the North Carolina Governor's Mansion. Most recently, M&W Wood Products crafted an oval mirror frame that Lowe's decided to put into production. The frame now comes in three colors and sells for about $59, according to Walter. Since work has slacked off so much, Walter and Mickey are trying to make people aware of their services and concentrating on custom wood pieces. The two showcased their abilities at the Southeast Old Thresher's Reunion in Denton this past July. They are also planning to attend several more arts and craft shows in the coming months. "All I'm hoping is custom stuff will pick up and we can keep it going," Walter said. People who are looking for a unique piece of furniture or something in a size they can't buy in an ordinary furniture store sometimes call Walter and Mickey to make them something special. They once made a bedroom suite for a man named Moose who wanted a moose carved on his headboard. He also wanted his furniture made from timber grown on his land, so Mickey and Walter sawed the logs and used them to make the bedroom suite. "If you could get steady work you could do all right," said Walter. Sometimes custom work rolls in and sometimes it doesn't. Walter has gone into semi-retirement and Mickey runs most of the business now. Mickey hopes he can start making limited edition pieces for Reynolda House. They would be reproductions of smaller pieces shown in the home, such as tables and plant stands, and they would only be available for purchase in the Reynolda House gift shop. Mickey described it as a "See it in Reynolda House, buy it in the gift shop" kind of arrangement. Mickey is taking a risk by making up the prototype pieces for Reynolda House since they might decide not to buy. He would then be left with his investment of time and materials, but he's willing to accept the uncertainty. For right now, Mickey and Walter will just take work as it comes and wait to see what happens. "As long as I can make my bills, I'll stay here," Mickey said, "but it's getting harder." To contact Walter and Mickey Furr, call M&W Wood Products at 704-982-1200.
By Holly Fesperman
Salisbury Post
Walter Furr, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, blue overalls and a hat, was sitting on a stool in his woodcarving shop unfazed by the heat and humidity of a July morning. Walter was talking with his son, Mickey, about times when work was plentiful at their business, M&W Wood Products on U.S. 73 in Albemarle. The two remember when not too long ago they were swamped with calls for jobs, struggling to fill every request. "The pattern work has been real good to me up until about two years ago," Walter said. Among other woodworking specialties, Walter and Mickey make patterns for furniture companies. When a company has an idea of what they would like to mass produce, someone has to make the first piece. That's where Walter and Mickey come in. The furniture company sends them the blueprints for a piece of furniture and they build it to the specifications, doing all the woodcarving by hand. After the first piece is finished, the company can program their factory computers to copy the intricate carvings and mass produce the piece of furniture. There isn't as much demand for pattern work as there used to be. "It was like somebody cut a spigot off almost," Mickey said. Since the furniture industry went to China, people can buy imported furniture much cheaper than American-made, Mickey said. Mickey and Walter said they can't compete with furniture prices from overseas. An imported bedroom suite might cost $1,500. With lumber prices at about $5 a board foot, Mickey and his father can't make one nearly that cheaply. On the other hand, Walter and Mickey's handmade bedroom suite would be one of a kind. "The only difference between my stuff and an antique is mine ain't old enough yet," said Mickey. The father and son use dovetail and finger joints instead of the nails and butt joints used by most modern-day furniture makers. Walter, now 68, started whittling wood when he was only 6 years old and made his first carvings at 14. Some of his first pieces included a small goat and a man with a cowboy hat. He never took a carving class, but nonetheless became skilled. "I reckon that's what I was gifted with," said Walter. Although he was talented in woodcarving, his first job was at Cannon Mills Plant 6. Everybody went to work at the mill back then, said Walter. He didn't own a car and rode the mill bus to work and home again every day for about a year. The next year, Walter got a new job at a local chicken farm, married and had his first daughter. Chicken farming wasn't for him, either. He stayed there only about a year and a half before moving to Paige's Church Furniture in Albemarle. Walter carved collection plates and communion rails for 75 cents an hour — that was back in 1956. He didn't have to wait long for a raise. Paige's gave him an extra 25 cents an hour before his first paycheck was cut. During his 16 years at Paige's, Walter started carving his own pieces on the side in his basement. He started getting work from area furniture manufacturers, including Young Manufacturing in Norwood and Councill Craftsmen in Denton. By the time he quit Paige's Church Furniture in 1974, he had more than eight hours of work a day at his new shop behind his home. Paige's still called him back from time to time if they needed someone with special skills. Walter has worked between 10 and 12 hours a day nearly all his life. "When you enjoy your job, it's not work," he said. Walter admits he can't work in the shop as long as he used to and requires a break now and then. In the 1970s, right after he left Paige's, the pattern business was booming. Walter was making patterns for names like Broyhill, Pulaski, Ridgeway Clock and Bassett. In 1978, Mickey started working with his father in the family business, which gave Walter another employee to help meet the high demand. The two got into some restoration work in addition to the pattern work Walter had been doing for years. Several years ago, Reynolda House (the historic homeplace of R.J. Reynolds located in Winston-Salem) was shopping around for a carver to make some early 1900s-style reproductions when they called Council Craft to ask about their services. The employee who spoke with Reynolda House officials recommended Walter and Mickey for the job. Reynolda House told Mickey and Walter they were looking to restore the original carved lion feet on the couch in the main hallway of the home. The goal was to restore all furnishings to reflect the style during the era when R.J. Reynolds and his family occupied the home. After Walter and Mickey submitted a sketch of the lion foot, Reynolda House staff liked what they saw and asked them to make a prototype. The prototype was accepted, and M&W Wood Products made the replacement feet on the main hall couch that visitors see today. They've also made other pieces for Reynolda House, such as intricate smoking stands, plant stands and small tables. Walter described how he takes a rough piece of wood and makes it into a highly decorated piece. "You want a good piece of wood to start with unless you want it to turn out bad," he said. Before he begins carving on the wood, he makes a sketch of what the finished product will look like. "You have to come up with an idea of what you want to make first." Walter said he learned to sketch in school before he started carving. He cuts the wood into a rough shape and then transfers the sketch to the wood so he'll have lines to carve by. A variety of chisels are used to achieve a finished look. "Hand work is slow," said Walter. Mickey and Walter don't make many mistakes, but when they do sometimes they're fixable and sometimes they must start all over on a new piece of wood. Mickey says no one sees his mistakes. "I run it through the heater and nobody knows!" Back in 1983, Walter and Mickey were featured on "Carolina Camera," an old WBTV feature show, when they made 14 chairs for the North Carolina Governor's Mansion. Most recently, M&W Wood Products crafted an oval mirror frame that Lowe's decided to put into production. The frame now comes in three colors and sells for about $59, according to Walter. Since work has slacked off so much, Walter and Mickey are trying to make people aware of their services and concentrating on custom wood pieces. The two showcased their abilities at the Southeast Old Thresher's Reunion in Denton this past July. They are also planning to attend several more arts and craft shows in the coming months. "All I'm hoping is custom stuff will pick up and we can keep it going," Walter said. People who are looking for a unique piece of furniture or something in a size they can't buy in an ordinary furniture store sometimes call Walter and Mickey to make them something special. They once made a bedroom suite for a man named Moose who wanted a moose carved on his headboard. He also wanted his furniture made from timber grown on his land, so Mickey and Walter sawed the logs and used them to make the bedroom suite. "If you could get steady work you could do all right," said Walter. Sometimes custom work rolls in and sometimes it doesn't. Walter has gone into semi-retirement and Mickey runs most of the business now. Mickey hopes he can start making limited edition pieces for Reynolda House. They would be reproductions of smaller pieces shown in the home, such as tables and plant stands, and they would only be available for purchase in the Reynolda House gift shop. Mickey described it as a "See it in Reynolda House, buy it in the gift shop" kind of arrangement. Mickey is taking a risk by making up the prototype pieces for Reynolda House since they might decide not to buy. He would then be left with his investment of time and materials, but he's willing to accept the uncertainty. For right now, Mickey and Walter will just take work as it comes and wait to see what happens. "As long as I can make my bills, I'll stay here," Mickey said, "but it's getting harder." To contact Walter and Mickey Furr, call M&W Wood Products at 704-982-1200.
Events
| Birth | 13 Oct 1936 | Stanly County, NC |  | ||
| Marriage | 22 Dec 1957 | Stanly County, NC - Living | | ||
| Marriage | 21 Aug 1993 | Stanly County, NC - Katie Rose LAMBERT | | ||
| Burial | Ridgecrest Cemetery, Locust, Stanly County, NC | |
Families
| Spouse | Katie Rose LAMBERT (1933 - 1999) |
| Spouse | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Father | Grover Silas FURR (1914 - 2003) |
| Mother | Mattie Nada HARWOOD (1918 - 2001) |
| Sibling | Silas Monroe FURR (1934 - 1998) |
| Sibling | Living |
| Sibling | Living |
| Sibling | Joe Harold FURR (1940 - 2024) |
| Sibling | Living |
| Sibling | Living |
| Sibling | Betty Marie FURR (1947 - 2023) |
| Sibling | Living |
| Sibling | Living |
Endnotes
1. North Carolina Birth Index, 1800-2000 [database online]. Provo, Utah: MyFamily.com, Inc., 2005.
2. North Carolina County Marriages, 1762-1979. Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org.
3. North Carolina County Marriages, 1762-1979. Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org.
4. findagrave.com.