Our Story
The story of the Maine Hod began in 1984 in the small coastal village of Christmas Cove, Maine, when Jack Buckingham designed and built the original clam hod featuring the now-signature curved handle. What started as a handcrafted basket inspired by Maine's maritime heritage quickly grew into a family business built on quality, craftsmanship, and tradition.
Together, Jack, his wife Alexia, their son James, and daughter-in-law Lori founded Christmas Cove Products and spent the next decade handcrafting beautiful wooden pieces for customers throughout Maine and beyond. As demand grew, so did their offerings, expanding from the original clam hod to include a variety of hod sizes, mast hoop trays, chart trays, and other handcrafted wooden products.
In 1996, production slowed as the family's focus shifted to welcoming and raising the next generation. As a young child, Lindsey Buckingham spent countless hours in her grandparents' workshop, surrounded by the smell of fresh-cut wood and the sounds of craftsmanship at work. When Lindsey was six years old, her grandfather Jack began teaching her the art of building a Maine hod by hand, passing down not only the skills of the trade but also the pride and care that went into every piece.
Today, in loving memory of her late grandparents, Lindsey and her husband, Arthur, have revived the family business with a shared commitment to preserving this unique Maine tradition. Each hod is handcrafted with the same attention to detail and dedication to quality that Jack instilled decades ago.
More than forty years after the first Maine Hod was built in Christmas Cove, the tradition continues. Through every basket they create, Lindsey and Arthur hope to share the beauty of handmade craftsmanship, honor the legacy of those who came before them, and pass that joy on to their own children and community for generations to come.
