The name came about when a close family friend was watching me use my tools, with my Japanese saw hanging off my back. He thought that I looked like a Samurai… so he started calling me The Samurai Carpenter, and the Legend[ish] was born.
I’ve learned on the job site, from other expert carpenters, books, basically whatever I can get my hands on… but more than anything, I have learned the most from messing up and from complete and utter failure. Really the art of learning What Not To Do, has taught me more than anything else!
I would recommend that if you are interested in learning woodworking or simply increasing your skill, then start with a project that is just outside of your current skill set. This will stretch you, you will learn from your mistakes, and if each time you take on a project that is just a little bit more challenging than the last, you will grow your craft until you can build anything you want.