I started Holmgard Trading in 2016, after falling down a rabbit-hole in my "main" hobby, homebrewing. Being an avid medieval re-enactor in the SCA, I was studying the history of beer and other beverages, and noticed that very few people were taking their drinks in a fashion authentic to their period. I saw a few drinking horns being passed, and several ceramic vessels, but little in the way of turned wooden cups or bowls, to say nothing of plates and such.

A little research in archaeological reports, and a few weekends on the lathe, and I found myself with more drinking bowls than I could use--and I was running out of shelf space! I had received a few requests for cups in person, but felt that a wider audience would better appreciate them.

I have since moved on to include other small items--hand-carved bone needles and tablet-weaving cards, leather needle-cases, nalbound hats, mantles, and cowls, and bone and antler rings. As I find the time and space to expand my line into other items, I will--so keep checking back!

"Holmgard" was the old Viking name for the Russian town of Novgorod, the hometown of my SCA persona. The brand frequently found on my woodenwares is a monogram of my persona's initials: "Mikhail of Holmgard." (It also works in Cyrillic "Mikhail of Novgorod".) Above the initials is a stalk of barley, representing my passion for brewing.