Willard Brothers Woodcutters — Local services in Hamilton Township

"While this place is unique and very few like it, it seems it operates in exactly that way—on its own terms, without much care for the customer experience."

From the very first phone call, the tone was dismissive, as if my inquiry was an inconvenience rather than a potential sale. They did provide the details I needed — confirming they could run my large desk slabs through their industrial planer — but the attitude was enough to leave an impression that helping me was a burden. Still, given how rare this service is, I went ahead and dropped off my materials that Saturday.

When I arrived, the atmosphere said it all: they clearly didn’t want to be open on a Saturday. The main guy, who seemed to know everything about lumber but carried himself like he was doing customers a favor, helped a newer employee write down the job details. I explained (and they even wrote down) the primary goal — to plane and level the damaged top surface. Everything was understood and documented. I was told it would be ready Monday or Tuesday, and that they’d call when finished. No prepayment needed, even though I asked.

They did call Tuesday to say it was done, but I couldn’t pick it up until the weekend. That’s when the real frustration began. I showed up at 10 a.m. on Saturday — well within their 9–5 hours — and the only person there was the new employee. The same grumpy guy finally showed up late, food in hand, while customers waited. I stayed patient, but when he finally brought my piece out, my heart sank.

They had completely ignored the specific reason I brought it in. Instead of planing the damaged side, they started on the good one — then continued to plane both slabs down until the “wrong” piece matched the “right” one. In other words, they made both wrong. And when I pointed it out, the response was a casual “it’s close enough.”

Close enough? For a $250-an-hour service? That’s not craftsmanship — that’s carelessness. He shrugged it off, charged me for 45 minutes, and offered no apology or solution. Now I’m left trying to fix what they ruined myself.

⚠️ Bottom Line

If you’re looking for true professional workmanship and accountability, think twice before trusting this place. They may have the tools, but their attitude, care, and pride in service are sorely lacking. I wish I could recommend them for their unique capabilities — but based on how they handled my project,...

Summary: Willard Brothers has a great selection of slabs, a good selection of domestic and imported planks, and a limited selection of turning stock.

Willard Brothers is an interesting place. You walk through the sales areas to pick and choose the specific stock for your next project. I generally turn wood (Bowles, urns, etc.) so my needs are different than most.

Willard has a reasonable selection of domestic and imported timber. Most of the stock is planks in the 4 to 12" x 1/2 to 2" x 4 to 10' range. They are a great source for figured wood to make a small box or similar item.

The selection of turning stock is more limited.

A slab is a thick (2 to 4") natural edge board. The bark may ot may not still be attached. Willard has an entire showroom featuring slabs. This is a very good first stop when shopping for a table top.

Willard also offers a better-than-online price for tung oil and citrus solvent which I use as a bowl finish. It allows me to support local business and get a good deal at the same time. Wood prices are higher than other local suppliers but they are very convenient to my shop.

Staff is generally knowledgeable about their products, availability and suitability for a project. They will offer advice and suggest alternatives. I have always found them...

I have been to their shop a few times to research different wood species for a project at home, and due to COVID-19, could not return to the shop (their shop is AWESOME, when COVID-19 stops, its worth the visit!). However, I was able to locate a wood slab in the online showroom, and review the project requirements over the phone with them. They delivered the product to our house and it FAR exceeded expectations. Their communication, workmanship, and final product are second to none. Can't wait to do some more projects around the home...