About
The woodworker behind the signs.
I’m Jakub Szimpel, and I make things from wood.
My main business is Szimpel Woodwork. I’ve been running it from my Edinburgh workshop at 151 London Rd for several years now, building bespoke furniture: dining tables, desks, sideboards, shelving. Mid-century modern and Scandinavian-inspired pieces, mostly in walnut and oak. I’m a member of the Scottish Furniture Makers Association, and the workshop is set up for serious woodworking.
A while back, for a furniture project, I bought a CNC router. Then I needed a laser engraver for detailing and branding. Both brilliant machines that opened up new possibilities. Around the same time, someone asked me if I could make them a wooden sign. I said yes, designed it in the software, cut it on the CNC, finished it by hand, and honestly? I really enjoyed the process. The designing, the layout work, seeing the lettering come together. It was a different kind of satisfaction from furniture.
So I started taking on more sign work. It’s a natural extension of what I already do. Same workshop, same timber, same standards. The CNC and laser were already there. It wasn’t planned, it just made sense.
That’s what Wooden Signs Edinburgh is. Not a rebrand, not a pivot. Just another thing I make from wood, and something I genuinely enjoy making.
I’m not the cheapest option and I’m not trying to be. I use good quality hardwoods, I take my time with the finishing, and I stand behind what I make. If you want a sign made properly by someone who knows their way around timber, that’s what I’m here for.
The Workshop
Everything is made at 151 London Rd, Edinburgh. It’s a proper workshop, not a spare bedroom. I’ve got a CNC router for precision carving, a laser engraver for fine detail and lettering, and everything else needed to take a piece of rough timber and turn it into a finished sign.
If you’re local and want to see how things are made, you’re welcome to visit by appointment.
Workshop photo 1
Workshop photo 2
Workshop photo 3
What I Believe In
Good timber.
I use oak, walnut, ash, elm, cherry and other hardwoods. Sustainably sourced, kiln-dried, selected for the job. The wood matters.
Honest work.
I use CNC and laser because they give me precision I can’t get any other way. Then I finish everything by hand because machines can’t do that part properly. I’m upfront about how I work.
Straightforward service.
You deal with me directly. I design it, I make it, I deliver it. There’s no sales team, no production line, no middleman. If you have a question, you’re talking to the person who’s actually making your sign.
Let’s make something.
Whether it’s a sign for your pub, your house or your daughter’s bedroom door, I’d like to hear about it.
Get in TouchReady for your sign?
Tell me about your project. I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Get a Free Quote