A carpenter from Marín (Pontevedra) takes on a single commission per month and charges €50 an hour for his workshop. His solid wood pieces exceed €3,000 and are paid for in advance.
According to Clarín, carpenter Joel Martínez works in a 78 square metre workshop in Marín (Pontevedra) and only accepts one project a month. He charges €50 an hour for his workshop, and his solid wood furniture is commissioned and paid for in advance without renders or prior plans.
Before dedicating himself to carpentry, Martínez worked as a delivery driver and photographer. He learned the trade without technical training or family tradition, through trial and error and tutorials on YouTube.
His beginnings were in a brick shed measuring three by three metres. In the podcast Mucho Más que Carpintería, hosted by Fermín Lorda, he recalled how he financed his first machines by selling bicycles:
“I started in a small brick shed of three by three metres. It rained inside and outside, and I had barely 42 centimetres to move around the workbench.”
Before having clients, he published over 400 videos on social media showcasing his progress, without earning any income from them. Today, he works with American oak and chestnut for a clientele that includes elite footballers and international chefs.
His pricing policy does not allow for haggling. He recounted how a client asked him for a solid chestnut table similar to one from IKEA that cost €900, and he presented her with a quote of €3,600 prepared with ChatGPT. When she complained about the price, he responded:
“I’m not going to waste even two minutes with someone who doesn’t value artisanal work.”
Martínez allocates the money he earns from sponsorships from tool brands to a free carpentry school. The school is being built beneath his own home, and the aim is for anyone to learn woodworking without paying:
“The idea is for it to be free so that anyone who wants to learn woodworking can do so without barriers.”
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