A Man's World

Maybe it is just where we live, but I don't think so. In the three years I've been handling the administration side of our business, I can said with a firm conviction that the woodworking industry is a man's world. Sure there are some of us ladies out there, but we are few in a sea full of men.

About two years ago, I was trying to put together a quote for a client. Of course, they wanted a species of wood that wasn't overly common in this part of the country, so off I went in search. I had to branch out to suppliers I don't normally use. One man very sweetly told me "honey, I've been doing this for forty years and I've never heard of such a thing. Are you sure you've got the name right?"

First, yes, I did have the name right. One thing to note about my husband, don't ever go head to head with him on woodworking knowledge because you will lose. If he says the wood exists, trust me, it does. Second, which brings me back to my point, was the derogatory way in which the man spoke to me. He didn't know me from Adam, but felt confident enough to use an endearment with me before basically telling me I didn't know what I was talking about.

But it isn't all negative. I have to say that sometimes it works in my favor. Because I am so often the only woman walking into a store, sometimes I run into some gentlemen who go out of their way to help me.

When I walked into Grainger last week there were roughly ten men in the store and me. This isn't unusual. I think I've been in there once before when there was another female. If you don't know what Grainger is, it is a store of sorts that sells just about anything under the sun that a business would need. Not just anyone can walk in off the street and buy things, you have to have a business license and open an account, but this company has some of the best customer service I've ever seen. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/start.shtml

There's also a woodworking shop here in Columbus called Woodcraft that is pretty woman friendly. They have women on staff that all have some level of woodworking knowledge. The only downside to this store, is that it is geared more toward hobbiests than professionals. But, if you are looking to get your feet wet, this would be the place to do it. They have classes ranging from the beginner to moderate skill levels. http://www.woodcraft.com/