973.361.1166 info@thewoodmasterswork.com
About Woodmasters
Woodmasters is a woodworking “supergroup” of two whose principals, Wally Kunkel and Dave Pollak, each have extensive and lauded experience in their field. In Woodmasters, Wally and David have assembled a small team of craftspeople dedicated to producing timeless works using “old school” woodworking techniques.
Our Principals
Partners since 2013, David Pollak and Wally Kunkel bring together decades of individual experience.
Dave Pollak – Born in Morristown, New Jersey, David has been woodworking since he was 18 years old. His many skills include cabinet and furniture making, wood turning, carving, inlay, veneer work, and marquetry. In 1984 he opened Creative Woodcraft in Morristown, on Mt. Kemble Avenue. Five years later he moved the company to a larger facility in Dover on Blackwell Street, where he and his crew developed a reputation for creating beautiful, unique, and diverse work with exceptional attention to quality and customer service. After 20 years of helming Creative Woodcraft, he decided to change direction and closed the business to work as a top furniture maker at Pollaro, in Union. There he built museum-quality reproductions of the work of Jacques Ruhlmann, master designer of the Art Deco Movement.
Five years later, he left Pollaro and joined forces with longtime friend and fellow master woodworker, Wally Kunkel, to form Woodmasters LLC.
Dave is a founding member, former president and current vice president of the “Guild of Professional Woodworkers of Upper New Jersey” and a honorary lifetime member of Crafts. He is also on the board of directors of the Early American Industries Association.
David is also involved in the tool collecting community and restores woodworking machinery as a hobby. He is published in Dana Batory’s book Vintage Woodworking Machinery where he has written a chapter on buying and restoring woodworking machinery.
His parents, Emil and Martyl Pollak founded the trades related publishing company Astragal Press and co-authored several books on antique tools including A Guide to American Wooden Planes and Their Makers.
Respected by his clients and his peers for his skills and attention to quality, David continues to refine his talents with every new project he undertakes.
Wally Kunkel – At age sixteen Wally produced his first museum-quality piece of furniture on commission. That entitles him to claim a professional career of 43 years and counting. His foundation in woodworking comes from his ancestry, mostly his father, Wallace M. Kunkel, known to the nation as “Mr. Sawdust.“ The senior Mr. Kunkel was the founder of a legendary woodworking school in Chester, New Jersey, which served as the springboard for many professional woodworkers on the East Coast today. Wally Jr., along with his brothers Bruce and Marc, were an integral part of the school’s success.
The building boom of the “roaring 80’s” spurred Wally and his brother Marc to form Kunkel Brothers, Inc. It was the place to go for a one-of-a-kind library or furniture piece. Together they built a portfolio that raised eyebrows and made jaws drop—from the remaking of the Gothic arch tracery windows at the famed Trinity Church in lower Manhattan to what has been called the most spectacular private library in New Jersey.
Trinity
Church
Windows
With a passion for his work and a natural born talent, Wally went on to win the prestigious American Woodworker Award, also known as the Excellence in Craftsmanship Award. This was a high honor for the young Kunkel considering that the competition included many of the icons he had only read about.
Further experience included six years of fine yacht building at Merritt’s Boat Works in Pompano Beach, Florida, called the world’s premier sport-fishing yacht builder by Yachting magazine. In just a few years, Wally became the foreman of an elite group of builders, considered by some as the best in the world.
Let’s Talk Shop – Our Shop Facility
One of Woodmasters’ unique features is our rare assembly of tools. While our work is state of the art, we specifically exclude some of the most modern gadgetry, such as CNC machines. These machines are wonderful for production shops, but we specialize exclusively in finely crafted, hand-made productions. Many of our hand tools and machinery are from the last century and are painstakingly refurbished.
Our tools reflect our dedication to the “old world” craftsmanship that few of our peers are capable of producing these days.
Want to come check us out? Contact us…
