July 10, 2017

Meet Dan Crossman of Saltwoods in Watertown

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dan Crossman.

Saltwoods was started in January 2014, after Dan decided to leave his 12yr corporate career in Germany, and pursue his passion for woodworking and design. With a strong understanding of custom manufacturing, he was often disappointed and frustrated to see the poor quality, selection, and lack of customization the big furniture stores were offering. He decided to apply the same manufacturing techniques he learned to build stronger, better tables while offering more options. By blending fabrication techniques, Saltwoods is able to offer more options, cut down on the lead time, and insure higher quality. It is time to shake up the sleepy furniture industry. American custom crafted tables built to last.

Dan – kick things off for us. Where does this story begin?

The name Saltwoods, was born after working on a salvaged piece of white oak from the Boston navy shipyards. The wood had been stored in a salt-water pond to preserve it for future reconstruction of the USS Constitution. The salt had preserved the old-growth lumber and given it a hardness and patina that was incredibly unique and appealing.

We work closely with lumber yards and demolition crews along the east coast to find the best hardwoods for tables; fallen trees, abandoned barns, and even the skeletons of old industrial buildings. Every one of our tables is a one-of-a-kind creation in cut and design. Many large scale furniture manufacturers cut away “nature’s imperfections” in the wood they use, while we at Saltwoods consider these markings to be the “salt” of life, unique features that lend character and beauty to our products.

Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely has been a lot of hard work and long hours. Certainly some rough patches where everything is on the line, but in the end it always turned out better than where we stood beforehand. The quality of our tables have improved with each better machine/tool we purchased, and our lead times are shorter making customers much happier. We are also able to offer more and more cool products being rustic or contemporary.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Saltwoods – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Our niche is really custom made tables; the customer picks out the wood type, leg style, dimensions and finish. Many customers are looking for a rustic farm table that has lots of character and history, and others want a more refined walnut trestle table that fits perfectly into the built seating they have or kitchen island top.

We are really proud to offer handcrafted tables made right here in Watertown with thick solid wood tops that are built to last for decades. We work a lot with reclaimed woods salvaged from old barns or structures and that lend amazing character to the wood, and then finish them with environmentally friendly finishes. We also have the craftsmen hand deliver and set up the tables to all clients in the Boston metro area.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Best: Diverse people in a relatively small geographic area.

Least: the roads are in pretty bad shape 🙁

Contact Info: