Ecomm Preloader

About

Each piece that leaves our bench reflects our standards for craft, beauty, and function.

Inspired by the Rocky Mountain West

Welcome to

A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studios

A.L. Swanson Craftsman Studios is an artist workshop, nestled in the Rocky Mountains, specializing in woodworking and the fine craft of furniture making. The studio is known for its extraordinary craftsmanship, unparalleled designs, unique abalone shell inlays, and high-quality, hand-crafted fly-fishing gear, inspired by the awe and wonder of the Rocky Mountain West.

High-Quality Craftsmanship

We maintain our high-quality products by producing all our work with a very small, efficient team of craftspeople. Every piece that leaves our Helena, Montana bench reflects our high standards for craft, beauty, and function. Each piece is hand signed, with integrity, by the owner and founder, A.L. Swanson.

Hand-Crafted Pieces

We offer a wide variety of hand-crafted custom furniture, gifts for the home, custom corporate gifts, and high-quality, hand-made fly-fishing gear- inspired by the Rocky Mountain West. We are known for our extraordinary craftsmanship, unparalleled designs, and unique abalone shell inlays.

Signed by hand, with integrity, by A.L. Swanson himself

Creations that Will Last
for Generations

A.L. loves going to work every day. He seizes each moment to share his love of woodworking with all who are interested. It is a rare and rewarding gift to get to share his passion with his community and, at the end of each day, he feels a tremendous sense of accomplishment, crafting creations that will last for generations.

A.L.’s studio practice is more than the workshop he uses to create hardwood furniture and one-of-a-kind fishing gear. It is a space for healing and survival. Battling his second round of throat cancer and undergoing weeks of chemotherapy treatments, A.L.’s studio has become a safe haven for his healing and transformation. He has been continually astonished by the outpouring of community support and feels grateful that the nature of his work is also his medicine.  

A.L. Swanson’s Story

A.L. Swanson

Owner & Lead Craftsman

A.L. grew up on a small farm in Maine, surrounded by a beautiful forest, and raised by a father who loved working with wood. Watching his father create extraordinary pieces with his own two hands, with trees harvested from their land, left an impression on A.L. and sparked a passion that continues to this day.

After spending time studying business and agronomy at respective universities, he decided to follow the passions he discovered as a boy and pursue the fine craft of woodworking. He apprenticed under several elite cabinetmakers in Maine, mastering the traditional craft.

In 2000, he packed up his tools and gave in to the lure of the wide-open spaces of Montana, where he now calls home. Today he shares the passion he discovered as a boy with the folks who enjoy his collections of fine hardwood gifts for the home, exceptional hand-crafted furniture, and his line of wooden fly boxes, landing nets, and fly rod cases.

When he’s not in the studio creating something that will last for generations, you’ll find him out on the river casting for trout, spending time with his son, and dreaming up the next big project to exceed his patrons’ expectations.