In his youth, his primary interest was in whittling, and carving small figures. He worked on figure carving and sold figurines in the local market in Oskarshamn. Most of the figures he sold were refined traditional wood carvings. Sometime around 1900 he began to carve in a minimalist style. These are the carved figures he is most famous for. Many of these carvings sold in the local market for ($1.00-$2.00)USD. Adjusted for inflation what cost $1.50 in 1900 would cost $33.23 in 2005.