2022_09_New_Jersey_Monthly

GARDEN VARIETY
A CUT ABOVE
Justin Bailey’s
hand-hewned
cutting boards,
bread lames
and more, are
primarily made
of ash, walnut,
maple and
cherry woods.
ta s t e m a k e r
Whittled Wonders
Justin Bailey’s hand-carved utilitarian goods don’t blend into the woodwork.
Woodworker Justin
Bailey loves
the outdoors,
and it shows.
Before a cutting
board, saltbox or cracker tray leaves
his Rahway garage turned woodshop,
it’s stamped with his self-designed
Campfire Woodworks logo—a flame
fueled by a hammer and saw.
“When I moved to New Jersey four
years ago, I started doing woodworking
seriously, and I needed a name for
the company. Campfire Woodworks
felt natural. If I’m not in the woodshop,
I spend most of my free time sitting
around a campfire,” says Bailey,
who works full-time as a volunteerrelations
manager at a nonprofitoutdoor
conservation group, the
Appalachian Mountain Club.
The 36-year-old, self-taught
woodworker transforms walnut,
maple, cherry and ash, often sourced
from J.H. Monteath Lumber Co. in
Old Bridge, into functional, decorative
pieces. “I take everyday objects
and elevate their quality and style,”
he says.
Among them is a tostone press. “You
can find them for $5 in any supermarket
with a Latin section,” he says. “I made
one you’d want to hang on your wall or
keep on your countertop.”
When a request for a bread
lame (pronounced lahm)
came from one of his 22,000
Instagram followers, Bailey
CAMPFIRE
WOODWORKS
Rahway
campfirewoodworks.com
had to google, “What’s a bread lame?”
Since making one for that customer, he
estimates he’s made about 100 of the
bread-scoring devices.
His most requested items are one-ofa-kind
display cases for collections such
as military medals and presidential
pins. Large items including tables, carts
and stools are also made for clients in
and around New Jersey, he says.
Bailey’s latest endeavors are signature
product lines incorporating his favorite
features: inlaid brass, the graceful
curve of a serving board, or ergonomically
friendly handles—just
the kinds of ideas you’d
expect to be sparked sitting
around a roaring campfire.
—Monica Cardoza
PHOTOGRAPHS: COURTESY OF CAMPFIRE WOODWORKS
22 SEPTEMBER 2022 NJMONTHLY.COM