Page 16 - 2025 Shaker Woods Festival Tab

16 Shaker Woods F ESTIVAL
RON DUMOULIN
The Village Broom Maker: Ron DuMoulin Keeps a Time-Honored Craft Alive
artistry and heart.
Before ever selling a single broom, Ron
spent five years giving them away. “I wanted honest feedback,” he says. “If people didn’t like them, I wanted to know why. And if they did, I wanted to know what made them special.” That early generosity set the tone for his now 15-year-old business—one rooted in craftsmanship, quality, and connection.
Each broom Ron creates is a labor of love,
built to last and made with purpose. His broom
handles come from the hills of Tennessee,
hand-selected hardwoods strong enough to
stand the test of time. His canes are especially meaningful, crafted from wood once used to dry tobacco leaves in the South, giving them both strength and history.
Ron’s catalog has grown far beyond the classic kitchen broom. Today, he makes everything from whisk brooms to camper brooms, along with matching dustpans, canes, and walking sticks. Each item is unique, many featuring intricate, lightning- like designs burned into the wood using a high-voltage electric technique known as Lichtenberg burning. The effect is both rustic and striking—artwork as much as function.
Ron’s method of assembling brooms stays true to tradition. Using a broom machine—also called a “kick winder”—he wraps broom corn tightly around the
aF
or the past 20 years, Ron DuMoulin of
Wellsville, Ohio has been perfecting craft that few today have the patience or passion to pursue: traditional broom making. Known affectionately as The Village Broom Maker, Ron has carved out a unique niche for himself, blending time-tested techniques with
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