Koshur Chaan Journal: Wood, Craft & Kashmir
The Koshur Chaan woodworking journal gathers notes from the workshop and from Kashmir, written by Wosta. It covers how wood behaves, how to care for it, and the craft traditions behind every board. Everything here comes from hands-on work in my Johns Creek, Georgia shop, or from the place my family’s craft began.
Browse the woodworking journal by topic
Board care and wood
How to clean, oil and refinish a board, why wood behaves the way it does, and what I have learned from years at the bench.
Kashmir and heritage
The trees, crafts and stories of Kashmir, and what they teach about making things well.
Workshop stories
Projects from the shop, like a shikara built for a wedding, and what each one taught me.
Start here
Start here: essays from the woodworking journal
Why oiling a cutting board feels so good
How to oil a hardwood cutting board, how often, and with what. It also looks at why a few quiet minutes of board care feel so satisfying.
Why humans love natural wood
Why people are drawn to wood, and how natural materials shape comfort and well-being at home. A woodworking journal favorite for anyone who has run a hand along a smooth board and wondered why it feels right.
The trees of Kashmir
The trees of Kashmir by their Kashmiri, English and botanical names, from chinar and walnut onward. A reference for the landscape behind the craft, and for anyone curious which Kashmiri trees give the region its famous walnut and chinar.
What building a shikara taught me
A friend’s daughter wanted a decorative cart for her wedding. We built a Kashmiri shikara, the traditional wooden boat of Kashmir, instead, and the project became a lesson in family, heritage and craftsmanship.
The craft we should not ignore
Kashmiri walnut carving is admired for what we see. This essay looks at what we don’t: the history and the hidden workmanship beneath the surface.
Read by need
Read by what you need
Caring for a new board
The woodworking journal’s care articles pair with the step-by-step guide to caring for a wood cutting board. Start there for cleaning, oiling and sanding.
Choosing a wood
Walnut, hard maple and cherry each look, cut and age differently. The Cutting Board FAQ on woods and materials compares them in plain terms.
Planning a gift
Weddings, housewarmings, closings and retirements all call for something that lasts. Plan a custom board for the occasion in your size and wood.
From the workshop
From the workshop behind the woodworking journal
Why wood, why write
What the journal keeps coming back to
Wood keeps moving
Wood takes on moisture when the air is humid and gives it back when it’s dry. Understanding that movement explains almost every care rule, from drying a board on its edge to oiling all six sides.
Craft has a memory
Kashmiri carvers, boat builders and carpenters solved problems long before power tools. Writing about their work keeps those lessons in view, and many of them still apply at a modern bench.
Things worth keeping
A good board can last decades with simple care. The woodworking journal is about that kind of object: made carefully, used daily, and repaired rather than replaced.
How it is written
Written at the bench
This woodworking journal is written at the bench, not from a desk. When I explain how to oil a board or why wood moves with the seasons, it is because I have watched it happen in my own shop.
Some entries are practical: how to clean, oil, sand and store a hardwood cutting board so it lasts. Others are slower reads about Kashmir, the trees and carvers my family’s craft comes from, and why handmade things matter.
Every piece is meant to be useful to someone who cooks, gives gifts or simply cares about well-made things. If an article leaves you with a question, send it my way, and it may become the next entry.
The writer
Who writes the journal
I’m Ishtyaq Qadri, though most people know me as Wosta, a Kashmiri word for a master craftsman. By day I’m a healthcare provider caring for veterans, and in 2015 I founded Koshur Chaan Woodworking LLC.
“Koshur Chaan” means “Kashmiri carpenter.” The name honors Maam Kol, a carpenter in my family, and the woodworking tradition I grew up around. Writing is one way I keep that tradition close.
I also make every Koshur Chaan board by hand in Johns Creek, Georgia, so the care advice in these articles is the same advice that ships with each board.
Read the full Koshur Chaan woodworking story to learn more about the studio and how every board is made.
Latest articles
The Beauty We See — and the Craft We Should Not Ignore (10/2/2026) - Kashmiri walnut carving is admired for what we see. This essay looks at what we don't: the history, the wood, the joinery and the standards beneath the carving.
The Trees of Kashmir: Kashmiri and English Names (9/16/2026) - Discover the trees of Kashmir through their Kashmiri, English and botanical names—from chinar and walnut to deodar, willow and birch—with stories of craft, language, landscape and Burzahom.
What Building a Kashmiri Shikara Taught Me About Family, Heritage, and Craftsmanship (6/14/2026) - A friend's daughter wanted a decorative cart for her wedding. We built a Kashmiri shikara instead: a small piece of Dal Lake, far from home.
Why Humans Love Natural Wood: The Science Behind Our Connection to Nature (6/12/2026) - Discover why humans are naturally drawn to wood and how natural materials influence comfort, well-being, craftsmanship, and our connection to the natural world.
Why Oiling a Cutting Board Feels So Good: The Psychology of Caring for Things (6/5/2026) - How to oil a hardwood cutting board, how often, and with what, plus why five quiet minutes of board care feel so good.Can’t find what you need in the woodworking journal? The Cutting Board FAQ answers the most common questions in one place, and the step-by-step board care guide covers cleaning, oiling and sanding. New articles are added as the work in the shop suggests them.