Meet The Team: Rob Porter
Time to meet your maker. Oh, wow, sorry, that sounded threatening. What I meant was: your maker of record and specialty shelving. Today, we sat down with Rob Porter, one of Deep Cut's founders, head maker, head of operations, design, and plenty more. We learned a little more about this fascinating fella. And it packed a few surprises, even to us. And we've known him since...well...birth.
Rob is our artist, builder, and craftsman. He sees the possibility in each rough plank of hardwood, but also its desire to warp, bow, and splinter. He takes vague notions and turns them into physical products ready for mail order. And he’s the guy that gets the call if something breaks at his cousin’s house. Or his neighbor’s. Or the guy-from-the-fish-fry’s. But who is the guy behind these skilled hands? Let’s find out.
Where are you from? I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA, but spent 12 years living in Montana before settling in Minnesota.
Don't worry, this is not his dating app profile pic. He's married. But when he lived in MT, this is what you would find him doing a lot of the time.
What are your current 5 favorite records?
- Colter Wall- Western Swing & Waltzes and other punchy songs
- Kalu & The Electric Joint- Time Undone
- Tyler Childers- Country Squire
- Led Zeppelin- IV
- AC/DC- Highway to Hell
I thought about some thinly veiled angle to explain why this picture related to that questions, but honestly, I just wanted to put it in here somewhere. I think you see why.
What’s the best trip you’ve been on? Can I only name one? Well it would have to be 2 weeks exploring New Zealand's North Island
Rob on 90 Mile Beach at the top of the NZ North Island trying to get his car started. That's Deep Cut's Mr. Finance, Clark, "riding" in the back.
5 Things That May Surprise Us About You:
- I can’t fix everything [editor's note: Lies. We've seen no evidence of this and, frankly, he can't prove it.]
- I graduated high school
- One of my pinky toes didn't heal correctly after breaking it and rubs holes through some shoes
- I’m a dual citizen [editor's note: fun fact: Rob is half Finnish / Australian. This helps explain his crippling addiction to sauna and charming people]
- I love growing and eating jalapeños and other hot peppers
Just a small part of Kera and Rob's harvest from last year including some explosive peppers.
What’s your favorite thing Deep Cut makes? Our Flip Shelves
One of Rob's setups featuring 3 sets of walnut Flips as well as a DUAL 1245 that he refurbished AND built a custom walnut case for. A thing of beauty...
If you could go to one place you haven’t been, where would it be? To the Moon.
Rob presumably not on the moon. You can tell because of the water.
Favorite thing about MN summer? Favorite thing about MN winter? Well, first of all the two best seasons to talk about are Spring and Fall. BUT to answer this bad question: MN summer- There's no snow plowing to do. MN winter- There's no mowing to do.
Rob's pup, Gunner, agrees. Actually, he decidedly prefers winter. Even MN winters are somehow too hot for him.
Walnut or Maple? Walnut
If you could be a master of any musical instrument OR have any singer’s voice, which would it be? Bagpipes
I...I've got nothing. Surprised as you are. Bagpipes??
Why do you enjoy listening to records? It’s mostly a relaxing social experience for me. My favorite time to listen to records is when entertaining friends/family. There are often some great conversations that take place under the needle. I like physically holding and looking at albums and listening to them all the way through.
So there's a little more about the guy behind Deep Cut's unique creations. A few things he left out: He's an elk hunter who hunts so he can eat well all winter (but he shares, which we love). He's a hell of a cook, especially if you are down with cream, butter, and cheese. He may be have Finnish / Australian in his blood, but he cooks like a Frenchman. And he's a killer dancer, especially at a wedding. Kera, Rob's wife and the other half of the Deep Cut production team (Meet The Team soon to come) can attest.
If you want to get your hands on the stuff made by HIS hands, hit the Deep Cut store. It's all small batch production made by Rob with some mighty good looking wood. The thing we hear most often from customers: "The craftsmanship is amazing!". Rob and Kera are why we hear that.
If you want to read more about Deep Cut, Rob, and the team, head to our story. Otherwise, stay tuned for more good stuff about records, interior design, the team, and plenty more. Until next time.
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