Island Treasures: Tiger Shark Nutcracker
Love for a place can express itself in many ways, depending on one’s interests, experience, and talents. Jim Harrold feels fortunate that his 35 years in woodworking allows him to design and build original wood products that dovetail nicely with those items that reflect his adopted home of Hawai‘i; namely, macadamia nuts, handcrafted beers, and coffee.
Tiger Shark Nutcracker, one such product, combines three familiar elements of Hawai‘i Island: the revered tiger shark, macadamia nuts, and rare and beautiful koa wood. The wave-like edges of the nutcracker box provide an appropriate setting for the stainless-steel shark to bite and crack open a tasty, heart-healthy nut. Decorative and strong box joints at the corners ensure a lifetime of enjoyment. But what good is the nutcracker without a reliable source of mac nuts? In addition to the one-pound bag of nuts that come with your order, you’ll also receive information for resupplying your nutcracker with one-pound, two-pound, five-pound bags and more.
Jimʼs most recent design is an ‘Ukulele Beer Flight Server, because, as he says, “quality craft beers deserve a well-crafted sample server.” This signature design draws its shape and length from the soprano ‘ukulele, the most popular instrument in the islands. Jim says, “The server is music to your beers.” Made from koa, it features a fretboard and realistic hardware in the guitar’s head. Four cork-lined recesses each hold one-ounce taster cups, which come with the ‘ukulele, along with a custom placemat for evaluating brew samples.
A third design, Jimʼs vintage side-cranking coffee mill, takes you back in time. The grinding mechanism sits atop a sturdy splined koa box, complete with a removable drawer that contains the fresh grounds that you pour into your coffee maker.
Jimʼs products come with reasonable price tags, considering the materials and time it takes him to handcraft each one. His knowledge stems from his careers as an executive editor and writer for Better Homes & Gardensʼ WOOD Magazine and as the editor of Woodcraft Magazine. At Woodcraft, he worked with and learned from top craftsmen in the United States.
Jim has resided in Kona since 2015. He says, “I continue to imagine and make Hawaiian-themed originals with the Big Island always gentle on my mind.”
For more on Jimʼs products, including his magnetic beer bottle and surfboard bottle openers, and other designs, visit his website.
Jim Harrold, Woodworking Originals LLC
Kailua-Kona
515.422.4321
mancavewoodworking.com
