General Info:
Greetings! By way of introduction, we are the Reuben Hostetler family, manufacturers of Hickory Tree furniture. In 1993, after praying for a number of years for a home occupation so as to be able to work with my sons, the Lord led us to a skilled hickory furniture builder, whose top priority was quality. The rockers he built were also designed for symmetry and comfort. We began working under him to learn the craft. Years later, what began as an apprenticeship, became our own family business, which we thank the Lord for. There are varying levels of quality and workmanship found throughout the rustic hickory furniture market. We at Hickory Tree desire to produce what we call “fine” hickory furniture. To attain this end we take extra care sanding and detailing to ensure smooth-to-the-touch and snag-free comfort. The Amish-style rustic bentwood hickory furniture is carefully handcrafted in our shop at home by my sons and I. Hickory is harvested as saplings or as branches from more mature trees anywhere from early fall to late winter. Steps in the process include cutting, pulling it out of the woods, snipping all the small twigs off the main branches, and sawing the longest limbs into shorter lengths. It’s then brought home, and stored in a tightly enclosed shed for continued drying, and to prevent bug damage. In preparation for building, correct sizes of stock are selected and cut to length for use as braces, switches, or legs. The limb knots are cut off and the sticks are sanded smooth, leaving the bark on. After being steamed, to make it bendable, some of the hickory is put on forms to be shaped. Other sticks are taken from the steamer, then bent and nailed directly onto the furniture being built. Oak, hickory, or walnut wood is cut and sanded for slats, boards, runners, etc. After a piece is built, it is then meticulously hand-sanded and sprayed with multiple coats of natural finish, leaving a smooth, satin coating which enhances the natural beauty of the hickory, and the wood grain patterns. Since there are no two hickory trees alike, (showing the awesome design of our great Creator -Genesis 2:9; Acts 14:15) the variation of knots, crooks, bends, and colorations all have a part in making each piece of furniture uniquely beautiful. We are reminded of our Heavenly Father, whose hands have created and formed us for a special purpose (Psalm 119:73; Isaiah 43:7), and Who desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as hickory is bent to build many of the beautiful pieces, as we yield our hearts, wills, and lives to God, we enter into the beautiful, fulfilling life of becoming His very own workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:11) We look forward to serving you!