Ben Kahn

Ben Kahn grew up on farms outside of Cincinnati which opened his mind at an early age to hard work and problem solving.  Ben started his fine woodworking journey in Kentucky at Berea College, where he focused on woodworking in the school's industrial technology department.  During his senior year, he started an apprenticeship with master Woodturner Rude Osolnik, which he carried over after graduation.  Then, in 2000, Ben left the Midwest and attended the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Townsend (NWSWB).  NWSWB opened new doors in Ben’s skill set as a woodworker and shifted his focus to the world of wooden boats, in which he is still active to this day.  In 2007, he became an instructor at NWSWB, and his true passion for teaching flourished.

After 10 years of teaching at the NWSWB, it was time to move on and run his own business building boats, houses, cabinets, van conversions, woodturning, and whatever the client wants.  He has taught workshops at the Center for Wooden Boats,  Arbutus Folk School, and A three-month woodworking/boatbuilding class in Austrailia in 2018.  He has been teaching workshops at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking since November of 2019.   He lives in Chimacum with his wife and three-year-old son.  Most days, he can be found doing projects in his shop, milling wood, setting up infrastructure, or farming.