At age sixteen Wally produced his first museum-quality piece of furniture on commission. That entitles him to claim a professional career of 43 years and counting. His foundation in woodworking comes from his ancestry, mostly his father, Wallace M. Kunkel, known to the nation as “Mr. Sawdust.“ The senior Mr. Kunkel was the founder of a legendary woodworking school in Chester, New Jersey, which served as the springboard for many professional woodworkers on the East Coast today. Wally Jr., along with his brothers Bruce and Marc, were an integral part of the school’s success.
The building boom of the “roaring 80’s” spurred Wally and his brother Marc to form Kunkel Brothers, Inc. It was the place to go for a one-of-a-kind library or furniture piece. Together they built a portfolio that raised eyebrows and made jaws drop—from the remaking of the Gothic arch tracery windows at the famed Trinity Church in lower Manhattan to what has been called the most spectacular private library in New Jersey.
With a passion for his work and a natural born talent, Wally went on to win the prestigious American Woodworker Award, also known as the Excellence in Craftsmanship Award. This was a high honor for the young Kunkel considering that the competition included many of the icons he had only read about.
Further experience included six years of fine yacht building at Merritt’s Boat Works in Pompano Beach, Florida, called the world’s premier sport-fishing yacht builder by Yachting magazine. In just a few years, Wally became the foreman of an elite group of builders, considered by some as the best in the world.