MY DESTINY: Tan Chuanhua, founder and chairman of Carpenter Tan Handicrafts Co. Ltd., said it's his destiny to be a craftsman and make wood combs (CFP)

For some, woodcarving and small carpentry work are hobbies. But for Tan Chuanhua and his Carpenter Tan comb brand, the woodworking craft has become a deep-rooted moneymaker. The Chongqing-based handcraft wood comb maker raised HK$140 million ($18 million) at the Hong Kong stock exchange on December 29, 2009.

The money will help Tan, founder and chairman of Carpenter Tan Handicrafts Co. Ltd., sell Chinese-made handcrafted combs to overseas customers and forge his company as a high-end brand of fine wood products.

As small and insignificant as combmaking may seem, Tan's business now generates more than 200 million yuan ($29.3 million) in annual revenue.

Tan's secret to success has been a concentration on refining the combmaking craft, which has yielded the company more than 60 patents and respect from China's comb culture.

Combs have been a traditional Chinese symbol of longing and love. Though they have now become a must-have daily item that generally costs less than 10 yuan ($1.46), Tan has revived the comb's symbolism, allowing his combs to become a first-choice gift between young lovers with an average cost between 250 yuan and 300 yuan ($36.6-$43.9) for some gift packages.

A former teacher, street painter and poet, Tan sells culture and lifestyle along with his products, striving to capture the beauty of ancient Chinese culture through products' names, descriptions and the design of franchise stores. A piece of framed calligraphy on the wall of each store explains why Tan believed it was his destiny to become a craftsman.

Although born into a carpenter's family, Tan wanted to be a poet or a painter. The village boy lost his right hand in an explosion when he was 18 while using homemade bombs to catch fish. Deemed "useless" as a farm worker, Tan made a living as a substitute teacher shortly and later as a street painter for two years.

He eventually returned home—where he married, raised children and started a business of his own—to lead a normal life.

"Life has taught me a huge lesson and I have paid for being naïve and sentimental about life," Tan said. "No one can escape his destiny. And mine is being a carpenter."

In retrospect, Tan thanks his mother for giving him the courage to fight against all odds. In the days after losing his right hand, Tan remembers his mother's comfort.

"Don't be afraid, my boy," Tan recalled his mother saying. "We can make it in life as long as we still have eyes."

Hairy situation

Before carving wood combs, Tan tried his luck making cement panels, producing glass paintings and selling silk flowers.

Tan shifted his business focus to wood combs in 1993. His first factory—a former swine breeding plant—was an odd choice to commence combmaking operations. But, with a friend's help, Tan secured a 290,000 yuan ($42,460) loan and started production.

The first challenge Tan faced was establishing sales channels. Tan sent four salesmen out to bustling commercial areas but sold only one comb at 2 yuan ($0.29) the first day. Still, Tan saw the light of hope. Viewing the sale as the turning point in his life, he sealed the money in an envelope, writing "Long Live the Market" on the front.

Tan registered Carpenter Tan as the trademark for his company in 1995, after trying several less impressive brand names for his products. The company's cash position improved when shopping centers began selling his products allowing Tan to develop better combmaking technologies and products.