Hey there. I’m Rob. I hand craft beautiful and longlasting items from wood
I am the sole owner and creator in Skoba Studio.
It is based in pretty Bankya, Bulgaria.
History
I have woodworkers both on my father’s and mother’s side of the family. My father himself is quite a handyman, making and repairing most of the stuff around the house and the car we used to have.
In 2016 I found an old rusty chisel, that was calling me to try it out. With it, I slowly rediscovered woodworking.
I started creating wooden gifts for close relatives and friends. Their friends wanted some as well. Slowly, this grew into a small business in which I still create products with love, attention and patience as I did when I made them for my close ones.
Philosophy and work process
I am fascinated by the practicality and beauty of old school woodworking, the traditional joinery, the intimate understanding of wood that you only get when using non-powered hand tools.
However, I do not shy away from using some modern machines to combine the best of both worlds and create some unique products.
They are usually made one by one and not in batches. This allows me to focus my attention on the task at hand and select best wood grain or the best tool for each specific board, project and situation.
Most products I sell have behind the scenes photos or video of the build. Have a look.
I source my wood from local and responsible suppliers. Have a look at a description of each product in the shop for list of materials used. You’ll see woods like cherry, pine, walnut, maple, basswood and plywood. I don’t use particle boards of any kind.
For finishing, I try to stick to traditional natural finishes. I mostly use products from a local maker Craftsmen of the mountain who makes all-natural Boiled linseed oils, beeswax and stains.
I sometimes like to make projects that combine wood with other materials, so you’ll see some craft papers, leather, LEDs, electronics and speakers in there as well.
You can read more about my attitude to the woodworking as a whole and check behind the scenes photos in the Blog section of this website.
You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
The Skoba name
Skoba (скоба) has many meanings in Bulgarian, some of the main ones being clamp and holdfast, hence the logo, which is stylized clamp.
It also means bracket (as in parenthesis). We have a saying: To open a bracket. It roughly means: to say something on a side, to start a side story. I quite like this.
I believe it is important to not leave side stories aside but to pursue them and enjoy them as much as we can. You never know which one will become integral to you and your life.
Family
I want to thank my family for their support in my pursuit of this craft.
When you purchase products from my shop, you are not only supporting me and my small craftsman business, but also my family. For that, we all thank you.