Bill Bonstein is a renowned woodcarver from Chester Township, N.J.  He was an avid amateur furniture maker for most of his life until 2011 when Kim, his wife, gave him a gift of tuition at the American Woodcarving School in Wayne, N.J.  This thoughtful gift enabled Bill to combine his love of woodworking with a yet untapped artistic talent. Since then, this new found passion has consumed him both in the later part of his professional career and on into retirement.

He does not sell any of his work but enjoys showing it. Bill competes in woodcarving shows and competitions nationally and internationally.  He prefers carving to teaching carving and has judged many carving shows and competitions.

Generally, Bill carves basswood and butternut, but he has carved several wood species including black walnut, mahogany and cottonwood bark. Some of his achievements include a first place in the 2012 International Woodcarver of the Year Competition run by WoodCarving magazine in England, many Best In Show awards and most recently his work was featured on the cover of Chip Chats magazine, USA’s preeminent woodcarving magazine.