A Master Woodworker Makes Furniture That Endures
At his woodworking shop in Hālawa, Dae Son turns local hardwoods into custom furniture.
If you need something made from wood — whether it’s for home, office or store — Dae Son can probably make it. Son is the owner of Wood Hi, a woodworking shop in Hālawa. He says the shop has been commissioned to make custom pieces as small as intricate pocketknife handles and as large as 12-by-4-foot dining tables.
“We never turn down anyone on a project. We actually find a way to do it one way or another,” says Son. “I always tell clients, ‘If you have a budget, just let me know, and we’ll work with it. We can still build it for you, the right way, which will last, and you don’t have to worry about it falling apart.’”
Mass-produced furniture does not last, he says, but creations by expert woodworkers provide enduring quality. “That piece will last you forever and [you can] pass it on to your kids probably.”
And except for the plywood he uses, Son says Wood Hi sources locally. “We always try to use sustainable wood. Koa, monkeypod, mango, anything you find on-island that’s a hardwood, we use.”
