John Whetstone stands in a section of the building where all the handmade wooden cookware magic occurs which stands right next door to his shop in Silver Lake. He uses only hard sugar maple wood and, in this room, the wood is cut out into one of many shapes including rolling pins, spreaders, spatulas and the like. The small scraps of wood that are left over are normally used for items like sugar spoons.

SILVER LAKE — Growing up in Mentone, John Whetstone, Silver Lake, had not yet found his niche in life. It wasn’t until he took a Christian ethics class in the 1970s he finally found his calling.

In his ethics class the teacher informed the students they each should have some skill or trade and, if they didn’t know what it was yet, they should find one. While Whetstone thought this was a great idea, he did not know where to start. After praying about it, he realized God was calling him to woodworking. Making a list of tools he thought he would need, Whetstone began his woodworking career with a band saw he purchased for $15.

Thirty-three years ago Whetstone began woodworking full time. His first work space was a half wooden floor and half dirt floor room on his own property. A year later he was asked if he would be interested in renting part of a building in Silver Lake. He fixed up his space and moved in.

Whetstone dabbled in a bit of everything, building hutches, cabinets and furniture. He also began performing repair work on antiques for an antique shop down the road. This helped him to learn design, style and engineering. His venture into wooden cookware began when he was asked to make a wooden spoon that wouldn’t break.

Although Whetstone was “not big into school,” he remained faithful to his purpose. Without receiving a degree or any formal training, he trusted in God to provide what was necessary. Whetstone recalled one instance early in his career when he had to make an oval and was unsure how to get started. One of his children just happened brought home a library book in which the person was making an oval and even had a description on how to go about it.

His first taste of success came when a company in New York discovered his handmade products and were specifically looking for someone to make wooden kitchen tools. That was followed by beginning to make items for a large supplier in Virginia, Colonial Williamsburg. Whetstone’s claim to fame came when he made the wooden toy pistol that was used in the movie “The Patriot.”

Faith and family are the key factors that continue to make Whetstone strive for success. Realizing online shopping or “e-commerce” is the “marketplace of today,” Whetstone and his son, Sam, designed and launched a new website. Whetstone is enjoying his newest venture and thinks “it’s neat to be open 24/7 and accessible all over the world.”

Simply taking a teacher’s advice in his youth, Whetstone has not only built up a profitable business for himself but also discovered his passion. He finds it important each of his wooden cookware items are handmade so they each have minute differences. His other passion is working with people and so he spends the majority of his time in the store talking with visitors.

Whetstone began the business with his first wife, Debbie, and each of their 10 children helped in the shop in some way throughout their lives. Whetstone continues to run his business daily with his second wife, Debbie.