Marvin was born on a farm in Underhill, Vermont, and later moved to another farm in Jonesville, where his affinity for carving wood became apparent. This affinity sometimes caused consternation in his father when the object of his whittling was a farm tool handle, or Marvin would chop a tree down with an ax to have wood to carve.

He began using a chainsaw around the age of twelve to help with the gathering of wood for the family’s furnace, and in later years used chainsaws on the job as a logger. One day, on a drive with his wife, Marie, he stopped by a gift shop to watch someone carving with a chainsaw. He thought “I bet I can do that,” and he was hooked. In the next few months he played around with his saw, and produced some ornaments for his lawn in Essex. People were soon stopping by to ask if they were for sale. The rest, as they say, is history. A name became necessary for his fledgling business, and after joking with his brother-in-law James, the name “Marvin’s Carvin’s” stuck.

As the business took off, Marvin decided to make it his full-time occupation. The property in Essex wasn’t the best site for efficiency in his efforts, so he and Marie began to look for something more suitable. After a few years of looking and a lot of prayer, the property on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh came up for sale. It was perfect! Marvin, his family, and business are now happily ensconced there, with Marvin making lots of sawdust and Marie and their sons putting the finish on the bears that you see represented on this site.

Each carving is unique, but each has Marvin’s personality in it. We use raw pine to craft the carvings, and treat them with a six-step finish to help stabilize the wood, so you can enjoy them for years to come. The outer finish is U.V. protected, so the pieces do well both inside and outside.