This wasn't the plan
How a mischievous puppy led two cousins and a brother to start hand-making shelving and home decor, and how it landed in the hands of Rob and Kera. (What a teaser, right?)
For Rob, Clark, and Rich Porter, it was always about the records. The digging, the finds, the shelves that never seemed big enough. And the ritual: choosing an album, letting the needle drop, and settling in to listen.
As their collections inevitably grew, the usual bookshelves and entertainment units weren't cutting it anymore. The last straw was the day Rich's puppy chewed up several of his records that were stored on the floor. He set out to find a solution—one that was 1) high-quality and stylish, 2) designed for records, and 3) would get his collection up off the ground. There wasn't much. He ended up getting something custom built by a local woodworker and, although the end result was great, the process took close to 6 months and required professional install..
So he called Rob, the guy in the family who could build anything. Years of carpentry and woodworking had given him a love for solving problems and a high bar for craftsmanship and quality. Rich described what he wanted: display shelving made for records, easy enough for any unskilled dummy (e.g. him) to install. His words, not ours! Handmade from quality wood with a clean look. Room to grow with a collection, and versatile enough for books, plants and pictures. And high enough to keep the records off the ground and away from the dogs. A little specific, sure, but bending, squatting, sitting on the floor: who wants to do that every time they put on a record?!
“Can you make something like that?” Rich asked. Rob’s response: “Yes, yes I can.” And he did.
Crafted in Minnesota
Small batches, solid hardwood, and a maker who sweats the details so you don’t have to.
We build every piece by hand in our Minnesota woodshop, and we sweat the details. Our signature is the miter fold joint: the grain flows unbroken around each corner, there are no screws or nails involved, and the joint is incredibly strong. It takes more time and more precision than the usual way. (So does playing a record instead of hitting shuffle.) That’s the point. We build pieces worth keeping.
We have handpicked our premium materials from the best suppliers in the state. Our premium walnut and hard maple hardwood is ideal for our products. From the rich darkness and texture of the walnut to the light, airy quality of the hard maple, these two varieties tend to work with almost any color palette or design scheme. And because we opt for real wood, every piece is subtly unique. We do as little to get in the way of the wood's natural beauty as possible and everything we can to elevate it.
We do all of our small-batch production in Crosslake, a small town in Northern Minnesota near some of the most popular lakes in the state. Rob took an old barn/ auto garage and turned it into a pristine woodshop capable of the finest cuts. You’ll find him there most days obsessing over quality, and thinking about any way he can upgrade our processes to make the product just that much better. And also what to do with all that sawdust…
Meet The Team
Two brothers, Clark and Rich, and a cousin, Rob, started Deep Cut for one simple reason: to make cool stuff from quality stuff that they would want. Raised within two miles of each other, they’d gone on to very different lives, and this was finally their chance to build something together. (Okay, so, that’s two simple reasons.)
Every good record has a second side. In 2026, Clark and Rich stepped back, and Rob and Kera embraced Deep Cut as their own, carrying forward everything the three of them built, one handmade piece at a time.
The hands and the heart of the shop. Rob is the man behind the design and manufacturing of every piece we make, and he’s been building things since before he could walk. He’s put in over a decade of carpentry, woodworking, custom mountain homes, hardscape, and pretty much anything else you can build. As COO, Rob runs the shop, keeps production moving, and checks every piece before it leaves our doors. When he isn’t in the woodshop, cooking up a mean breakfast and dinner, or keeping up with the property, he’s probably out with Kera fly fishing, backpacking, enjoying a campfire, or firing up the smoker for a backyard BBQ... doing pretty much anything cool you can do outside.
Secret Skill: The guy can dance.
Rob's Deep Cut: The Mexican is Brad Pitt's best movie.
Keeping Deep Cut moving forward and the big picture in focus. Kera handles strategy, brand, content, marketing, and customer experience, plus a whole lot of behind-the-scenes work, from helping in the woodshop to fulfillment, that keeps the wheels turning. What she loves is the craft itself: the honesty of real wood, the simplicity of a beautifully made object, and the way the right piece can change how a home feels. Outside the shop, you’ll find her chasing the perfect pour-over with a good book, adventuring outdoors with Rob, making magic in the kitchen, and capturing it all behind a lens.
Secret Skill: Singing in the kitchen.
Kera's Deep Cut: 10 Things I Hate About You and Hocus Pocus are required annual viewing, and that’s a hill she’ll die on.
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