Our Story

Welcome. I’m Mike, the founder of Ethan Walker.

Growing up, my father was a homebuilder.

Once I turned 6, he’d bring me and my older brothers to work with him on Saturdays.

It kept us out of my Mom’s hair but more importantly taught us the value of good old fashioned work ethic and how to build things with tools.

When I was 10 my older brother gave me my first claw hammer. I was so happy I built him a dog house.

I loved making things… Just loved it.

As an Army paratrooper in the 1980’s, we had an amazing woodworking facility on base at Ft. Bragg. It was staffed by 3 older gentlemen who knew everything about woodworking.

Under their guidance I spent hundreds of hours honing my love for woodcraft, even building a beautiful roll-top desk from Honduran mahogany.

Once my kids were old enough for Pinewood Derby, it was my turn to show them how to use tools and their imaginations to have fun doing the work.

So naturally, when a friend of mine stumbled across a small company in Australia named Milton Ashby, making wonderful handmade wooden personalized toys…my mind raced.

I couldn’t find anyone making high quality personalized toys like this, handcrafted here in the USA.

A month later, I knew this was something that I wanted to do here in the states.

We reached out to Milton Ashby and partnered together, bringing these special designs to the US.

It’s funny, my older sister didn’t quite understand the appeal until her daughter (my niece) was having her first baby.

I sent my sister a personalized bird rattle with her future granddaughter’s name on it and she cried…

Each one of these gifts is very personal and emotional.

Even though they take a lot more time and effort to make than you might think, we just love making them.

And I just love that my son has stepped up to learn this craft and business… The skills my Dad taught me I get to pass on to my son.