LAMBERHURST has just become home to the craftsman know as the bird whittler.
Armed with only a stanley and a block of wood, appropriately named glyn Cutts painstakingly reduces chunks of raw materials to create attractive life-like birds of all species.
And after just two months working from his new stodio on forstal farm, his hade made products and strikingly simple method have been causing a stir.
He said: "The amount of response I have had through word of mouth has been amazing.
"They just can't believe I do it all with a stanley knife. I start with a block of wood and bandsaw the profile of the bird out. Then I set to with the stanley knife".
Originally from Nottingham, Mr Cutts discovered his unusual talent when visiting a friend who carved birds out of wood as a hobby.
One day his friend lent him some wood and a set of carving tools so that he could have a go.
Mr Cutts said: "I just couldn't get use to the carving tools-using a large tool to chip away at a small object- and I got extremely frustrated.
"It just happened that there was a stanley knife on the table and I wounded if I could actually do it with this."
When he returned with the finished bird, his friend was impressed but not realising how it had been crafted, told him: "You're going to have to go out and buy some carving tools now".
More than 20 years later, the craftsman still employs the same technique and also mastered painting the birds to make them as authentic as possible.
For 16 years Mr Cutts lived on a narrow boat and sold his birds up and down the canals of britain.
This place came up about two months ago and I moved here.
I have always wanted a studio and always wanted to advance myself."
