Christopher
Robbins developed a love of broom making at age 14 when he began working in the
broom shop at the BitterSweet Cabins in Renfro Valley, KY. He then had the good
fortune of meeting Jim Harmon, a master broom craftsman from Springfield , KY.
Harmon was excited to find someone so young and interested in the dying art of
broom making. He taught Robbins how to make brooms on July 16, 1999. Then, he
began working at Renfro Valley on the weekends demonstrating how to make
brooms. Robbins’ brooms sold well in the Renfro Valley gift shop, so when
Harmon offered to sell him original 100+ year-old machines used for making
brooms, Robbins bought them. In 2001, Robbins set up the machines in a shop
above his parents’ garage and started into full-time business. Since learning
the trade of broom making in a log cabin at Renfro Valley; Robbins had always
dreamed of having his own log cabin broom shop. In 2004, someone gave Robbins
an old log cabin that belonged to his ancestors. The restoration was completed
in 2009 and the cabin now houses his broom shop. In 2007 Robbins graduated from
Somerset Community College with an Associates Degree in Business Management.
Using that degree Robbins has expanded his business having stores that carry his
brooms in 12 states and one store in Canada. Robbins has shipped his brooms to
45 states and has brooms in 5 different countries. He is a juried member of the
Kentucky Craft Marketing Program, The Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsman,
and the Sheltowee Artisans. Robbins brooms are both functional and decorative
works of art. His brooms are created one at a time using machines and methods
dating back to the 1800s. In June 2010 Chris was hired as master broom
maker at Berea College in Berea Kentucky, where he along with his students
produce brooms for clients all over the world.