Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Travis Fontane | Sebastian Demmel, a German national, works on an angel sculpture during the 1980...... read more read more
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Etched in Wood: The Originals’ Wood Carver
FORT CARSON, Colo- Sebastian Demmel, a German national, has been hand carving custom wooden pieces for Special Forces Soldiers for over 50 years. He flew in from Germany to attend the 10th Group 70th Anniversary Ball to celebrate the historical legacy of the Originals with current Green Berets on June 18, 2022.
Mr. Demmel owns a wood carving business in Bad Toelz, Germany called Holzschnitzerei, an area with deep historical roots in 10th SFG(A). Since opening his shop, he has been designing and creating unique works of art for various Soldiers, including Special Operations Command Europe and 1st Special Forces Command commanders.
“Over the last 52 years, I have made nearly 6000 pieces ranging from all sizes for a variety of Soldiers,” said Demmel. “[Laughing] Also, now the size requests get bigger and bigger. For a long time, I would make pieces that averaged around 25cm by 35cm, and now I have made pieces over one meter.”
His interest in carving started when he was a boy watching his father carve on the family farm. When Demmel turned 15, he started an apprenticeship with a master carver. He still remembers his first project being a Trojan horse plaque made of walnut that he had to sand down.
Demmel’s relationship with the 10th Group started because his house was only a few kilometers from where the 1st Battalion was based. He said Soldiers would walk by and see his work then, over time, orders started to pile up.
The average piece can take anywhere from two days to multiple weeks to complete, he said. One of his favorite pieces that required the most work was a scene from a story passed down about a Green Beret Soldier on a sled with six rabbits running alongside through the woods.
“The intricacy of the rabbits and a fully equipped Soldier on a sled was quite difficult,” he said. “Even though it required a lot of work, I think it turned out quite good.”
Demmel said he was recognized for his superior wood carving skills worldwide. He even won first place at the 1980 International Woodcarvers Congress contests held in Davenport, Iowa, for a wooden angel piece.
“I enjoy carving for Soldiers,” he said. “There are thousands of my pieces out there, and when a Soldier says ‘I have one of his’ and shows others and talks about how much they appreciate and admire my work, that makes me happy.”
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2022 11:09 |
| Story ID: | 424755 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 495 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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