The Train Hopper

The Train Hopper is a handcrafted wooden hat sculpture made from solid old-growth redwood, accented by a contrasting band of old-growth Douglas fir. The form is pared back and intentional, with close attention given to proportion, surface, and the inherent character of historic wood.

The piece takes its name from the practical hats worn by transient workers during the Depression era. Train hoppers moved by freight rail in search of work, carrying little and relying on objects that could endure hard use. Their hats were utilitarian first—creased, reshaped, and repaired—becoming personal artifacts marked by movement and adaptation.

A hand-formed copper wire detail introduces a restrained mixed-media element. Rather than decoration, it suggests repair, left deliberately visible as a human intervention—an echo of the improvised fixes common to working objects of the period.

This example has been sold and is shown as a reference for custom commissions. Each new piece is made to order and will vary in shape, grain, tone, and surface according to the wood selected.