Feature STORY & PHOTOS BY ANGELA MATUA got tips about which tools to use. After receiving positive responses from his friends and co-workers, he seriously began to consider starting his own business in 2009. “I told myself, ‘maybe I should, instead of getting another job and getting laid off again, I should do what I want to do,’” he said. Most of Como’s toys have a cylindrical base. He achieves this look by using a lathe – a machine that rotates the wood on its axis to allow him to cut, sand and drill into each piece. Most toys are made of local woods such as walnut, cherry and red oak and he uses only natural finishes. He used the advice from the mothers he met at craft fairs when selling his toys, who appreciated that Como did not use chemical wood finish or paint. They also were happy to hear that the toymaker used local and recycled wood to make his products. Build it Green, a nonprofit retail store in Astoria that carries salvaged wood, allows him to replenish his supply when he’s running low. The toys resemble Japanese Kokeshi dolls, which are handmade from wood and usually have a cylindrical base and large head. Como, who was married in Japan and spent two years studying woodworking there, draws some inspiration from those toys and his Japanese wife.
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