About Us

WHO WE ARE

Oak & Ribbon is a family run business based in the North West of England.  We have a passion for designing and creating beautiful, functioning and inspiring contemporary oak products.  

 

HOW WE WORK

We combine the use of traditional methods, with the latest design and manufacturing technologies to create high-quality, fully customisable products.

 

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Oak and Ribbon started with the purchase of a CNC router a few years ago, for a completely different product idea.

Hello, my name is Mark, and I am a time-served Mechanical Engineer who completed a traditional apprenticeship back in the early 1980’s. 

I have always had the interest and passion in making things ever since I was a little lad, building things with Lego and Meccano at home, then metalwork and woodwork at school. With my interests in design and the sciences, I was always drawn to working with metals rather than wood as a career and followed in my brothers footsteps to become an Engineer.

Almost as soon as I completed my apprenticeship, I was promoted into the Design office, and since then my career has always been office based. This has served me well and I became a Chartered Engineer then gained an MBA due to my subsequent interest in how business works.

I have always satisfied my passion in making things by doing everything DIY to our home (mainly using wood), and I even had a few years of making and fitting wardrobes and kitchens at weekends; but that had to finish due to a career move.

Back to here and now, our daughters have all but left our nest and I have some free time to dedicate to designing and making products from wood. After a few years of improving my knowledge and honing my skills of working with Oak and other hardwoods, I now have a range of products that I am proud of which are available on this website.

I decided to make products from Oak as it allows for the fine engraving and has a beautiful grain which is really accentuated once the finishing oil is applied. As an Englishman interested and proud of our history, Oak also holds a special place in our culture, history and hearts.

I do everything from designing and making the products, personalising, sanding, oiling, and packing & shipping (the latter with some help from my wife).