Woodworking has been a distinctive trade in Gabrovo region, imposed on the population by the nature itself-rich in forests and water and poor in fertile lands.
      In the past it was a basic occupation of the population from the mountainous hamlets, situated to the south of Gabrovo, along the two feeders of the Yantra river - the Etarska and the Panicharska rivers.
      Every woodworker produced whatever he learnt by his father or what appealed to him more. Along with his own specific work every master made and other additional articles that were in greater demand during a certain year or a season. The made articles-low round tables, chopping boards, wooden bowls, wine vessels, stools, candlesticks, distaffs, spools, etc.-held a very important place in the way of life and the occupation of the Bulgarians for a long time. The master-turners were personified with their articles to the extent that they were called "gavankadzhii"(wooden bowl makers) after the name of one of the most popular and demanded articles "gavanka"(wooden bowl).


      The articles for household needs, barter and trade are produced with few and primitive tools: axes, adzes for cutting, hooks for turning, a specially hewn stone "glegezh"-for ramming of the wooden piece to the iron pricks of the lathe, a small bellows "dudulets"-for blowing up the fire during the working of the hooks, boards for lathe.
      The mastering of the turnery trade is not strictly regulated as it is with the other crafts. An examination for achieving master's certificate is not sat for. The young master, who can turn and sell his articles on his own, is already considered to be independent. It is necessary for him only to take out license to carry on turnery trade and commerce. In Gabrovo region the turnery trade is handed down from generation to generation. The grown up sons start to help their fathers and grandfathers. Sometimes three generations get to work together at one lathe.
      In search of new ways and possibilities for production closer to the customer, the Gabrovian turners started to go out for work away from their homelands. On their way they passed over the mountain near Teteven and Stokite, to the southern slopes of the Balkan Range and reached Macedonia and Anatolia. The turners set off early in spring on horsebacks, packed with articles and working tools. After selling their articles they settled down in convenient places chosen in advance (with swift running streams and forests) and made articles demanded by the local population. When they worked in regions near Gabrovo the turners returned home late in autumn but when they went abroad to make their living in Asia Minor and Anatolia they stayed there for years.
      After 1876 the working abroad of the turners was stopped because of the April Uprising and the Russo-Turkish Liberating War. Nevertheless it has kept its place in the local folklore, as it has been determining the fate of the greater part of the population in Gabrovo. And the fame and the skills of masters have turned the craft into a byword of the settlement. At the beginning of the 20th c., when the town was compared to Manchester according to its economic upsurge and industrial development, at the same time, by way of joke, but not without reason, Gabrovo was called "Gavanchester" (Wooden bowl - chester)