​Ryan Meader is a chainsaw carver. He is one of only a few in Massachusetts. 

"There's quite a few more up north." said Meader. "But, not around here."

​The former carpenter now practives his unique talent full time and runs Meader Built Chainsaw Carving. It's a skill he stumbled into at a job site seven years ago. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ryan Meader is one of only a few chainsaw carvers in Massachusetts

  • He is a former carpenter and is completely self-taught

  • He carves with white pine wood he cut down from his own backyward

  • Ryan is booked out with orders until next winter

"I've been doing carpentry forever." he said. "We were clearing land and I had no where to sit. So, I carved a bench out of a log and then kind of went from there."

He is completely self-taught and said the skill is just as hard as it looks.

"One day of carving beats me up like an entire week of carpentry did." he said "I am going to have carpal tunnel before I know it."

Meader carves with white pine wood he cut down from his back yard in Jefferson. ​

"There was a lot of dangerous debris back there and it needed to be cleaned out." he said. "It was a nightmare, so trees had to come down with it. It was the right wood for carving, which was a plus."

A lot of other carvers plan or trace out their designs before starting a project, but Meader said he lets the piece create itself. He makes every piece different than the last. 

"I don't know if I see things different than they do." said Meader. "But, I don't draw on the logs. I don't draw beforehand."

Spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic gave Meader the chance to really perfect his craft. Now, his orders won't stop coming in.

"There's too many orders not to do it anymore," said Meader.

​Meader is booked out until next winter with more than 60 orders.