Natural Wood in the Car

A woodcarver + a gear knob = a work of art. You won’t find «Made in...» on these lovely pieces, because they’re made in Europe. By a gifted person who also happens to love cars.

Andrii Ch. is a lawyer by degree, but by calling – without exaggeration – a superb auto mechanic, gunsmith, artist and stone-and-wood carver. «Anything in a car that’s made of plastic can be replaced with wood», says Andrii. It’s hard to believe until you see his steering wheel covers, gear knobs and interior trim pieces. A friend’s car stereo was stolen – ripped out, wrecking the plastic mounting. After a long and hopeless search for a replacement, Andrii made a luxurious oak insert frame, and the «Pioneer» fit in perfectly. And to complete the set, he carved a matching gear lever handle from the same material – a lion’s head with jade eyes.

One look at this beauty and you know for sure: «your mood will improve». Most often Andrii carves gear knobs, and all kinds of them: it can be the head of an animal, a fantastic monster, or just an ornament. One piece takes two or three evenings. The most labor-intensive part is working the inside: you need to подобрать a metal tube and cut the thread by hand. At first he planned to sell them for $10–20 each, but, generous soul that he is, he gave everything away to friends and acquaintances. «Woodcarving is a pleasure like no other», says the craftsman.

It’s a pity there’s catastrophically little time for his favorite craft – providing daily bread for a family with two daughters pushes creativity to the background. Some may consider it an excess, but agree: touching warm wood is far more pleasant than lifeless, indifferent plastic. And if it’s your tree – according to the Druids’ zodiac – you can even recharge your energy in the car.

You can also view similar wood-look decor works in the "aqua print" section

Magazine "Za rulyom"