The Mason Dixon Boys Visit the Area

Chris Erwin
Kentucky Angling News

Travis Crook and Joe Yancey are known as the Mason Dixon Boys; they are chainsaw woodcarvers. I have been following them for some time. The two of them do live shows, seminars, carnivals & special events. The pair of them set up displaying what they refer to as their stock items; however, they specialize in doing contract jobs for just about any carving you could want.

While they have been carving for a long time, it wasn’t until 2018 that they dropped everything and went into the wood carving business full time. Their home operation is at the base of the West Virginia mountains. I had passed it a few times on my way to Smith Mountain Lake. I always wanted to stop and talk to them; I wanted a carving to put at the cabin on Cave Run Lake.
As some of you know, my nickname is Littlebear, so of course, I wanted a bear. Travis told me they usually deliver their work to anyone that orders something as they travel to where ever their next show happens to be. A week or so ago, they had a show at Rural Kings on Rt 60 just out of Ashland.

They brought 20 or more carving to display and sale and then set up their saw cage and went about making a few new creations. I was impressed at how quickly these guys could turn a chunk of wood into a piece of art. A chainsaw is not an art brush, and mistakes can’t be erased; every cut must be on the mark, or you waste a piece of wood.

I ask Travis about the wood; these two men are going through a lot of timber. He told me, “ we used to go out and harvest our own wood on the farm, but these days we don’t have time to do it. We buy loads of lumber from a supplier because we spend all our time carving.

They also will come to a location or business and do contract jobs like carving a piece for a lodge or other resort wanting something special. He said we do jobs from twenty dollars to 20 thousand; it just up to what the customer wants.

The roar of the chainsaws and the flying wood chips fill the air that day at Rural Kings as the crowd watched a hunk of wood turn into a woodland creature. Birds, fish, big cats, and bears all stood in a row just outside the sawing cage as the shoppers marveled at what a log could be turned into with a chainsaw.

I picked up my bear and had a chat with Joe, the other half of the team. These guys are easy to talk to and ready to turn your ideas into sculptures that will soon to be cherished pieces of art.
I’m in hopes once this pandemic is over, I get these boys to come out to the fish camp and carve a unique tree in front of my cabin and maybe do a little muskie fishing on the side.
If you are interested in contracting The Mason Dixon Boys, you can do so by calling 1-681-422-9535 or emailing masondixonboysllc@gmail.com ; they also have a Facebook page.

I hope you all are staying safe, please wear a mask when you are in public. We need to beat this virus so we can go back to our normal life. I have a walleye trip waiting on me once I think it’s safe to be around other people. Until next time, God Bless you and our country. Chris Erwin is the founder and publisher of Kentucky Angonlinews an online magazine available at www.kentuckyangling.com/magazine Chris can be reached by email Trimmerr308@gmail.com