Cigar World's Artisan's Corner: Meet Matthew Lange from Rough Sanded Woodworking

Cigar World would like to introduce our new monthly feature, Artisan's Corner. This month Cigar World sat down with Matthew Lange from Rough Sanded Woodworking to learn how he built his woodworking business out of his garage, and much more!

Jean: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us about your work! Tell us a bit about your shop and creations?

Matthew: Rough Sanded Woodworking is a small woodworking business I run out of my garage.  It started as a hobby and turned into a small business almost overnight.  I am a self-taught woodworker, but also bring some of my knowledge from my career as a Maintenance Tech to fruition in creating items.  Like many other makers out there, I started out by creating, building, and selling items to help fund new equipment and tools.  Starting my social media page (Instagram is my main outlet) allowed me to make connections to amazing people, and from there, I was able to gain a customer base and really grow.  I have a knack for making one-off custom pieces. I have found myself making charcuterie boards, cutting boards, cribbage boards, custom cigar work, custom epoxy work, signs, home décor, tables, and everything in between.  

Jean: What inspired you to get into this space?

Matthew: The biggest inspiration to me to do woodworking was other makers. I would watch videos and clips of people creating something and have this desire to try it myself.  One of my favorite woodworkers is Domenic from M Inspired Living.  A woodworker has a certain style they generally portray, and I have based mine off his in many ways.  Once I really got into making things the inspiration seems to come from self-satisfaction more than anywhere else.  That feeling of ‘I came up with this idea and executed it’ is something unreal. 

Jean: How long have you been working with this medium?

Matthew: In high school, I had taken basic woodworking classes like many and never really utilized that knowledge until about 3 years ago (15 years after being out of high school).  In the summer of 2020, I made a large table for a friend and that was my first “woodworking” project to speak of.  Prior to that, I had made a few small items for our house but even then, woodworking hadn’t been a hobby of mine.  October 7th 2020, was the first charcuterie board I ever made, and that’s when I started really getting into it. 

Jean: What is the process you go through to create every piece?

Matthew: I’m very much a hands-on person and even more of a make-it-up as I go.  I can generally explain to people an idea or thought but I often find myself just making a piece and rolling with it. But generally speaking, a customer has an idea, reaches out to me with a request, a little back-and-forth exchanged to get the details worked out, then start making.  I like to get as much info as possible before firing back ideas, let alone a quote as to make sure we’re on the same page or at least in the same book.  Once we have settled on a design idea and hashed out the details of the project, I try to keep them updated for much of the process. I prefer to have creative freedom but will (obviously) accommodate requests as needed.  

Jean: How long does it typically take to create one piece?

Matthew: Some projects take hours.  Some take days.  Some take weeks.  It very much depends on what I am making.  Anything with epoxy work is going to add on extra time due to cure times etc. Making custom pieces often requires acquiring certain things to personalize the piece, and then I am at the mercy of delivery times.  I have been able to continue to purchase tools that allow me to speed up a lot of my processes, though.  

Jean: What is your favorite piece you have made?

Matthew: This is a tough one to answer.  I have been blessed to make some awesome pieces for some amazing people.  But I have a live edge noodle board that sits on my stovetop that I often stare at and realize how far I have come.  A few years ago, the day before Thanksgiving, I was prepping a turkey to cook the next day and realized I didn’t have a cutting board large enough to put the bird on.  I went into the garage and made one from a slab of Walnut I had.  I took some handles off one of my garage cabinets to use on it.  I did not have nearly the tools I do now and even less of the knowledge on woodworking I now have, but I made do.  It served its purpose and has now become a permanent fixture in our kitchen.  Yes, I am capable of making a much nicer one now, but my wife still pretends to like it, and it serves as a good reminder of where I started. 

Jean: Where do you live? Do you have a brick-and-mortar shop or just online?

Matthew: I live in Hugo, MN.  I do not have a brick-and-mortar shop nor do I have an online store.  My work is acquired through my social media outlets and word of mouth.  I have plans to get a website up and running in the near future, though.  

Jean: Do you smoke cigars? If so, what is your favorite cigar to smoke?

Matthew: I rarely smoke cigars.  I have made a lot of items for many cigar brands and have received many of their cigars, but I usually only enjoy them at events.  Never Ash and Founders cigars are two brands that I have done the most work with and also the two brands whose cigars I have smoked the most. I am far from a cigar connoisseur like Ashley at Big Ashes. 

Jean: Where do you like to smoke a cigar and do you have a go to drink you enjoy with your cigar?

Matthew: I have been to a few different cigar events/fundraisers/parties etc. and find that the atmosphere at those events is amazing, and enjoying a cigar is inevitable there.  The people in the cigar community are awesome.  Even someone like me, who is not an avid smoker, can appreciate it.  If I am drinking alcohol, it’s mostly beer for me.  But I do enjoy beer and cigars.  On the rare occasion, I have some whiskey I have enjoyed some Blantons while smoking cigars as well. 

Jean: Do you take commissions for custom work, and where can our audience find you?

Matthew: Yes, I most certainly take commissions for custom work.  Most of my work is custom orders.  It is what I enjoy the most.  Making one-of-a-kind items is truly fun to me.  The easiest/best way to reach me is on my Instagram page @rough_sanded_woodworking or simply shoot me an email Roughsandedwoodworking@yahoo.com

Jean: Anything else?

Matthew: My cigar work has varied from ashtrays, to cutting boards with cigars in epoxy to cigar clocks.  I have found a niche in using cigars in my work that people really seem to enjoy.  I think it is awesome to work with different cigar aficionados, and I really enjoy the relationships I have made within the cigar community.  

Jean: Matthew, thank you again for taking the time to answer our questions. We think your work is great!

If you think Matthew's work is as great as we do, you're in luck! Sancho Panza is currently doing a giveaway with Rough Sanded Woodworking which you can enter here!