Maine Makers

Maine Makers

The industrious people of Maine are certainly creative – they have been makers of some of the world’s finest handmade furniture for centuries, like the Shaker’s famous chairs, and today Maine-made is synonymous with quality.

A perfect example of this ingenuity is the PocketMonkey, a small tool that fits into your pocket or wallet and is, among many things, a bottle opener, screwdriver, phone kickstand and orange peeler. Made by Zootility in Portland, these laser-cut tools are among the company’s inventive and fun products.

Whether you’re looking to furnish your home with the bright, simply colored textiles of Erin Flett’s wallpaper, pillows and other silkscreened fabrics, or in search of the perfect Thos. Moser piece of handcrafted furniture made from North American hardwoods, finding gorgeous items for your home is easy in Maine.

You can also be a part of the creative process with Rough and Tumble’s leather bags with their online design center, or simply choose one you love, each made one at a time in Maine. Visit their flagship store in Portland or the new studio in Brunswick. If upcycling is your passion, then look no further than a Maine Sea Bag. Each Sea Bag is handmade from recycled sails on Portland’s working waterfront and often have nautical themes, capturing the essence of Maine.

Using boatbuilding techniques and renewable resources, Grain Surfboards crafts shockingly beautiful boards in York and tests them on Maine’s waters and beyond. They even offer DIY kits so you can be a part of creating your own surfboard.

Calling on the Atlantic Ocean for inspiration, Ae Ceramics in Boothbay Harbor and Yarmouth hand mold and hand glaze ceramics in the shapes of oysters, barnacles, razor clams and other sea creatures with colors reminiscent of Maine’s coast.

Maine is 90-percent forested so it’s no surprise that Brant and Cochran forge the Allagash Cruiser axe, the only Maine wedge-pattern camp axe being made today. Each handle is made from Maine ash, and the axes are true works of art.

While exploring the state, it really is wonderful to find a unique, Maine-made product that is not only useful but also adds real beauty to your life.