Sadly, our good friend and longtime customer Min
Koide passed away last month. As far as Mitch can remember, Min was one of our very first customers and can remember selling wood to him when Tropical Exotic Hardwoods was nothing more than a few pallets of wood in a storage shed.
Min was a very special person and a remarkable woodworker to say the least.
Yesterday we visited a memorial at his
exhibit in Balboa Park here in San Diego, California. Before falling ill, one of Min's last requests was that no matter what happened, his exhibit would go on and his artwork would be enjoyed by the many
visitors to the Japanese Friendship Garden
located in Balboa Park.
Below is a sampling of some of his pieces that are on display until Feb. of next year.
We encourage anyone who is interested in woodworking to visit his
exhibit and enjoy the works of this incredible
woodturner.
"Wood Bowls of Min Koide"
November 2, 2008- February 27, 2009
Japanese Friendship Garden
Balboa Park
San Diego, California
Gorgeous pieces out of
Masur Birch
This was possibly one of Min's last pieces. We remember Min purchasing this piece of Black and White Ebony in July of this year.
A couple pieces made out of
Cocobolo. The larger one i
s of a
Cocobolo Crotch.
Turning a piece like this is amazing. The skill and experience needed is just mind boggling. Min was a true master.
Here is a set of three hollow forms out of Mexican
Kingwood.
When most look at Mexican Kingwood logs they are too scared to try and work with it. All they point out is the cracks, sapwood, bark inclusions, and any other excuse that keeps them from turning this exceptional wood.
Min was able to recognize the
beauty in each piece and realized that certain flaws were just part of the nature of certain woods. Here he incorporates the sapwood and voids in vertical bands around the piece and does it in such a
beautiful way that it is almost impossible to capture in a picture.
This is a one many
Macassar Ebony Bowls that Min created out of a large log that he purchased years ago. Mitch remembers delivering the piece to his
residence and according to Min's son Gary, whats left of the log is still sitting in his workshop waiting to be turned.
This is another late piece by Min. He purchased this
Ribboned Purpleheart from us this summer and might easily be the last piece he did.
This is done out of a solid Pink Ivory Log section.
Just one of the Numerous Cocobolo bowls Min has turned throughout the years.
Spalted Maple Bowls
This piece is incredible . A chest of drawers Min made for his mother when he was sixteen out of scrap redwood and pine that he found. This was made while he and his family were placed in a Japanese Internment camp during World War II.
Here are a couple sculptures by Kenneth Glaze out of Pink Ivory and Mexican Kingwood
We are almost positive this is one of our 1.5" thick Bubinga Slabs in a table by Rick Moen. Check out the figure in this piece! We still have a couple of these slabs left as of 6-21-09
There was also a very nice display at the front of the exhibit honoring the late Sam Maloof. 
