Meet the blind woodturner whose YouTube channel is wowing the world

A blind woodworker’s YouTube channel is drawing attention from the internet due to his stunning creations.

Christopher Fisher, founder of the Blind Wood Turner YouTube channel, lost his sight in 2008 due to a condition called toxoplasmosis.

Incredibly, Fisher learned his trade by listening to YouTube videos.

“I wanted a vampire stake, but I didn’t just want to get an old stick out of the garden and whittle the end, I wanted something a bit more stylised and arty than that.”

Thus began a journey which helped Fisher regain his confidence after a tough few years.

“Before I lost my sight, I was very confident. I was a motorcyclist and quite gung-ho,” Fisher said.

Thanks to help from the Royal National Institute of Blind People and other professionals, Fisher got back on his feet, building his YouTube channel to more than 4,000 subscribers.

Fisher uses a process of “start, stop, listen, touch, feel” to create his works, which include bowls, key rings and candlesticks.

“Obviously I’m listening all the time for auditory cues. There’s good and bad sounds and I’m listening to make sure a piece is balanced, safe, running smoothly,” he said.

“I’ll be able to tell by the interaction between the tool and the wood if there is a flaw in the wood or a crack.”