Meet a Maker: Vic Tesolin A Journey of Passion, Perseverance, and Precision

Renowed woodworker and educator Vic Tesolin during a visit to Woodpeckers, which designs and makes premium woodworking tools. He also visited Leather by Dragonfly on his trip.

If you’re into woodworking, you’ve likely come across Vic Tesolin of Vic Tesolin Woodworks. Known for his minimalist approach and extensive expertise, Vic’s journey into woodworking was marked by passion, adaptability, and a desire to work with his hands.

Vic grew up in northern Ontario, Canada, with immigrant parents from Italy. His father was a contractor tradesman who could fix everything. “He wasn’t afraid to do anything,” Vic recalls. That fearless, hands-on mentality left a lasting impression on Vic.

After leaving high school early, Vic joined the Canadian Army at 18, serving in the artillery. His service took him to places like Bosnia, and he anticipated a long military career — until he dislocated his shoulder playing rugby for the military.

Discovering Woodworking

At 25, with a newborn daughter and a drive to create something special for her, Vic embarked on his first woodworking project: a bedside table based on a set of plans he found in a magazine. “I proceeded to make the ugliest bedside table you ever did see,” he says, laughing. 

But that simple project ignited a spark. Without access to the wealth of online tutorials we have today, Vic learned woodworking the old-fashioned way, fumbling through books and magazines. He remembered his father’s DIY spirit and realized he, too, could build things with his hands. “A lot of people today think you can only buy a thing,” he says. “Once you figure out that you can build stuff for yourself, that becomes really empowering.” 

From Soldier to Craftsman

While he was convalescing from his injury, Vic’s military unit assigned him to a woodworking shop making plaques and shadow boxes. What began as a way to keep busy became a full-time pursuit. When he was medically released from the military, he decided to follow this new passion. 

Using funds from the military for retraining, Vic attended Rosewood Studio, a private woodworking school, to study furniture design and making. “That’s when I realized I knew nothing,” he says. Formal schooling showed him the value of efficiency and precision. 

He eventually became a resident craftsman at the school, honing his skills and building a portfolio.

Writing, Teaching, and the Power of "Yes”

Vic’s woodworking career took an unexpected turn when Canadian Woodworking Magazine asked him to pose for a photo, putting board through a machine. That photo ended up on the cover. 

A while later, Vic attended a woodworking show, where the magazine’s publisher recognized him from the photo. He asked Vic if he wanted to try writing an article. “That blew my mind,” Vic recalls. “I’m a high school dropout, ex-military guy — I thought, maybe I’m not the right guy.”

But Vic remembered advice from a fellow soldier who got out of the military before him: “Don’t ever say no to anything. Say yes and figure it out.”

He took that advice to heart, learning photography to accompany his articles and eventually becoming editor of the magazine for about 14 months. From there, Vic spent a decade at Lee Valley Tools as a woodworking technical advisor, traveling the world to teach others how to use woodworking tools. 

Everything changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teaching seminars and in-person events came to a halt, and Vic decided to leave his job, purchasing video equipment to teach woodworking online. Today, he continues to teach classes virtually to students worldwide. He’s also written for other magazines, including a blog for Fine Woodworking, and he is a co-host of Fine Woodworking’s podcast, “Shop Talk Live.” 

A Minimalist Approach

Vic is the author of two books, The Minimalist Woodworker and Projects from the Minimalist Woodworker. His philosophy is simple: you don’t need a shop full of power tools to make beautiful things. His books focus on empowering people to create with hand tools and to focus on craftsmanship rather than equipment.

Vic’s passion for the craft, combined with a willingness to adapt and learn, has made him a respected voice in the woodworking community. Today, he and his wife run their own business, teaching woodworking and continuing to inspire others with his minimalist approach. 

“They’re great people to work with, so friendly and so hospitable,” Vic says of Patrick and Michelle, founders of Leather By Dragonfly.

This beautiful knife is among the core tools Vic plans to keep on his bespoke Leather By Dragonfly apron.

A Partnership with Leather By Dragonfly

Vic met Michelle and Patrick from Leather By Dragonfly at a woodworking show. “I walked by their booth and was immediately struck by the quality of their work,” he says. They soon became friends, and Vic since has become a proud owner of several Leather By Dragonfly products, including a Sedgeley tool pouch and a mousepad that was a gift from Patrick. “You feel like you’ve really made it when you have a leather mousepad,” Vic jokes. 

He’s especially fond of the customization that Leather By Dragonfly provides. “I don’t think people truly understand what level of customization they offer,” Vic notes, adding that he’s working with Patrick to create a custom leather apron with handy storage for his core tools, including a square, various types of pencils, a Paolini pocket rule, and a knife with a beautiful brass holder.  

Vic says Patrick, a fellow woodworker, told him that putting on a bespoke apron is like donning a uniform: “It’s time to go to work, and everything’s where it needs to be.”

Vic recently visited Michelle and Patrick when he was in Ohio for a tour of Woodpeckers. 

“They’re great people to work with, so friendly and so hospitable,” Vic says of the duo. “They just want to do the best product they can, and they’re willing to go the extra mile — or extra kilometer, for us Canadians.”

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