Plattsburgh native hand crafts poles using yellow pine or red oak

By ROBIN CAUDELL

PORT KENT -- A 24-foot flagpole of northern red oak gleamed in Danny Kaifetz's Port Kent workshop.

The Plattsburgh native custom crafts the tapered-roundover flagpoles using precision-laser alignment and traditional craftsmanship. This clear-finish pole, smooth to the touch, received eight coats of marine varnish and was hand-sanded between each coat. The wood's grain, which Kaifetz took exceptional care to match, was pleasing to the eye.

There are only three or four people left in the country, he said -- two on the West Coast and another in New England -- creating wooden flagpoles. Kaifetz's Adirondack Flagpoles, with his own unique modifications, are a notch above the rest.

The idea to build flagpoles originated not in his own backyard but that of a neighbor who waited more than a year, post-9/11, to have a custom-wooden flagpole shipped from California. Kaifetz deduced if there was such a demand, he would give it a try here in the northeastern woods teeming with the right timber.

In the past four years, he has found receptive clientele in 12 states, from Maine to Florida. He just finished his first international flagpole, a 32-footer that will be raised at an environmental center on Turks and Caicos islands in the West Indies.

"This pole is built for ocean conditions," said Kaifetz as he scanned the oak behemoth. "It has a carbine-steel spine. It's built to withstand tropical winds."

From land surveyor to flagpole builder and school-bus driver is part of the narrative arc of Kaifetz's life. He relocated from Texas back to the North Country and was searching for something interesting to do when he hit upon making flagpoles. He hired a master cabinetmaker to teach him woodworking skills to translate into flagpole creation. They figured out how to make five flagpoles over a summer. Their association ended when Kaifetz had nothing left to learn about finger-joint lamination, which feels and appears seamless. He even got some pointers from master carpenter Norm Abrams of "This Old House" fame.

"I talked to a lot of shipbuilders who make masts. It's kind of a lost art. It's hard to get information. This is very close to the way they were building flagpoles 100 and 200 years ago. My clients have reacted to the poles phenomenally well. They're all pleased and proud to own them."

He only crafts poles from May to October because it is prohibitive to heat his workshop during winters.

"It keeps me awful busy in the summer."

When possible, he delivers his poles on a custom trailer. Travel to beautiful vistas and meeting amazing people have been a unexpected byproduct of his craft for him and his daughter, Nicole, who is seeing the country "one flagpole at a time."

Kaifetz raised three oak flagpoles at Camp Topridge, one of the most famous of the Adirondack Great Camps. His distinguished clients include United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Stephan M. Minikes of Great Falls, Va.

When Kaifetz puts up flagpoles in more populated areas, the operation becomes a spectacle, stopping traffic and passers-by.

"They're (flagpoles) imposing. People feel very moved. These poles have such a presence."

Flagpoles can be adorned with an eagle or anodized gold finial. Flags that have unfurled on the custom poles include one previously flown at the Russian Embassy and heirloom family flags. Options include yardarm and bronze-dedication plaque. The poles cost just under $3,000 to $5,000-plus depending on size and options.

"People are really excited there are wooden flagpoles again."

Kaifetz's palpable patriotism does not come out of a vacuum. His father served during World War II, and he is a Vietnam-era U.S. Marines vet. He wants to establish a not-for-profit to give flagpoles to returning troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. He hopes his clientele will contribute as well as civic organizations, business enterprises and private individuals.

"I want to give a little something back," Kaifetz said.

rcaudell@pressrepublican.com