Nick Offerman here, looking to A some sweet Q, and please consume this latest Tale of Whisky with me and my Dad. https://youtu.be/nIBMDYAS6hA

Proof: https://twitter.com/Nick_Offerman/status/875699580473626625

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANOTHER BRACING SESSION. I MUST SIGN OFF TO RETURN TO WORK AS THE NUMBER ONE ROADIE FOR MY WIFE'S DOPE BAND NANCYANDBETH.COM HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL.

Comments: 3804 • Responses: 43  • Date: 

mitzlull4951 karma

What is your favourite majestic beast of nature? (Animal)

NickOfferman11693 karma

Megan Mullally

MakoM993844 karma

Hey Nick, what is your favorite memory?

NickOfferman15545 karma

That time when I answered a redditor that my favorite majestic beast of nature was Megan Mullally.

WellRespectedMan2823 karma

Nick, what is your best hangover cure? asking for a friend...

NickOfferman7463 karma

Digging post holes by hand.

shawnbrant2240 karma

If you could pick a theme song for your life, what would it be?

NickOfferman4067 karma

Yikes, that's tough.. Tom Waits Get Behind The Mule/Come Up To The House Wilco I'm Always In Love They Might Be Giants Particle Man

mybrosteve2211 karma

Hello Nick! I love seeing pieces of your relationship with Megan; it seems so genuine and you always seem to be enjoying just being together. Is there anything the two of you do specifically to keep your relationship healthy that would also benefit other relationships? Thank you!

NickOfferman9680 karma

We enjoy engaging in humor, jigsaw puzzles and a regular diet of each other's genitalia.

Dave27272153 karma

In your recent Wood Support video you stated that you "dislike any finish" on your wood. What's your preferred way to... "finish" your pieces?

NickOfferman4079 karma

I prefer to build up thin coats of oil and wiping varnish. We use different products and recipes at OffermanWoodshop.com based on the function of the piece, but we generally shoot for the richest and deepest color and figure whilst leaving the wood feeling as naked as possible. Sometimes we just apply a soft wax and call it a day. A beautiful and fragrant day.

Kestreltalon1965 karma

What's your opinion on veganism?

NickOfferman8563 karma

I applaud it for two reasons - 1) People can eat whatever they damn well please, and I understand that veganism can be very healthy both for the consumer and for the planet. 2) More bacon for this guy.

Ein7271965 karma

Did you actually make any of the woodworking items featured in Parks and Rec?

Edit: My most upvoted post ever is talking with Nick Offerman - I love it!

NickOfferman4112 karma

Most of the items were made much to quickly for any woodworker I know to pull off (except maybe JimmyDiresta.com) but I did make the canoes and paddles, as well as the large mahogany dining table Ron sold at Donna's school fundraiser...usually though I was too busy making the show to be able to make things like the Irish harp or the award-winning chair...

downsouthcountry1747 karma

Hi Nick, I'm a real fan.

Do you have any advice for a young person about to graduate college looking for a first job?

NickOfferman4564 karma

Focus intently upon what it is you love to do, then find a way to get paid to do it. I have been much happier doing good work that I love for less pay. What good is wealth if you are miserable?

asilemelisa1732 karma

Hey Nick,

Do you ever get tired of people requesting Ron Swanson advice?

NickOfferman6592 karma

The kind interest of folks is vastly preferable to their indifference.

ec204631611 karma

Do you have any advice for young people working their way up in the entertainment industry about remaining humble?

NickOfferman3648 karma

Hmm. Yes. Do that. The vocation of delivering medicine to others by means of entertainment is an immense privilege, like all work that is good to do. Thinking about that, and also maintaining a healthy relationship with my wife keeps me aware of my foibles and therefore humble. Also in my case looking in the mirror goes a long way towards fomenting humility.

bri351400 karma

Could you chuck more wood than a woodchuck could if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

NickOfferman4561 karma

I don't care to speculate about any of my abilities in the service of braggadocio, but I can certainly chuck a shitload of wood. Bring on your woodchuck.

NCSU_SOG1313 karma

What are your best facial hair grooming techniques and/or tips?

NickOfferman3776 karma

Don't shave.

LordRavenholm1208 karma

My dad died several years ago to cancer. Fathers day has always been a little bittersweet since.

I have no remaining male ancestors. I often feel like I don't have any male authority figures I can approach on a personal level when I am feeling overwhelmed or just want to talk. What would you do?

Thank you for the AMA. Never stop being you!

NickOfferman2623 karma

Depending on where you live/what you do, I imagine there are some older fellows who wish they had a young person to talk to as well, so maybe start poking around down at the lumber yard or gravel pit. If that fails, I have never had any trouble finding an old boy to talk to at the tavern.

TjBee1046 karma

Who is your least favourite Spice Girl?

NickOfferman5033 karma

KellyAnne Conway Spice

Avaaante846 karma

What advice would you give someone thinking about moving from a midsize town in the Midwest to a major city like New York, LA, or Seattle?

NickOfferman2083 karma

I moved to LA in 1997 steeped in ignorance. Given the extreme convenience of the internets and social media, I would do a lot of research about your chosen metropolis, scrutinizing neighborhoods, amenities, transit systems, plus the affordability or not of these items, and then if you can, go stay there with some friends and soak up the vibe - try on the pair of shoes before buying, if you will.

TanDoll831 karma

First, you and your wife are glorious and I think you are both fantastic.

Second, is that the same shop used in the Parks and Rec episode when Mark visits to survey it? Did they shoot in your woodwork shop?

Third, I really enjoyed the song and subscribed to your channel. You can make your own ukelele, play it and then also accompany it and that's just amazing.

Fourth, what kind of whisky were you drinking with your Dad?

Thank you!

NickOfferman1631 karma

First, that is very generous, thank you. Second, yes, Ron's shop was filmed in my shop, OffermanWoodshop.com . Thirdly, thanks very much, I love my clumsy music fun and I would point out that that ditty was brought to you by Mark Rivers, who also wrote all the Mouse Rat tunes (and is their drummer!). I love collaborating with him and I do it often. Fourth, that glorious beverage is Lagavulin 16, for which the video is an ADVERTISEMENT. Pretty lucky fellow who gets paid to advertise his favorite drink making hijinks with his old man.

ducks2291732 karma

Who is the best kisser from Parks and Rec?

NickOfferman2899 karma

The answer may surprise you.

Jim O'Heir has tongue like a goddamn anaconda and that is no shit.

THE_Rubber_Ducky699 karma

If you could pick any tool that resembles your personality best, what would it be & why?

NickOfferman1922 karma

The shovel, specifically the spade. It is not known for its finesse but can be relied upon to do its job with gravity and dogged persistence, and that job is: to dig.

Ortegorayner695 karma

Mr. Offerman,

Which is your favorite LOTR novel?

NickOfferman2118 karma

This is not a question that I can suitably answer as I rather consider them all of a piece. Favorite highlights include Gandalf and The Balrog and the character arc of Samwise Gamgee.

Gareesuhn669 karma

What's your advice to someone that's trying to get the courage and talk to that girl?

NickOfferman1853 karma

Dive in. We're human, therefore we will make mistakes, and yet people seem to love us anyway. So you might as well get started.

Mr_Nice_Guy615548 karma

Mr. Offerman,

Been a big fan of yours and your wife for years! I just have a couple questions:

  1. Do you use beard wash? And if so what is it and where can I get it?

  2. When you do your woodworking do you have any specific music you listen to?

NickOfferman2505 karma

  1. I do use beard wash, it is water and soap. You may find it in the creek and at the soap store, respectively.

  2. We love music in the shop - it's a great blessing. On any given day you will hear: Nancy And Beth, John Prine, Warren Zevon, Wilco, Patty Griffin, Iron and Wine, Neil Young, The Mills Brothers, Gillian Welch, Kool and the Gang, The Gap Band, Parliament, Ween, They Might Be Giants, Laurie Anderson, Talking Heads, T. Rex, Liz Phair, Louis Armstrong, The Andrews Sisters, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Rhett Miller, M. Ward, and like that. Willie, Johnny Cash, Dylan, Stones, Beatles, Beach Boys, Pink Floyd, The Who...we love it

FidoMcCokefiendPDX536 karma

What dorm were you in at Illinois? 6 pack/Hopkins Hall man myself.

NickOfferman845 karma

Scott Hall, neighbor.

DWilcox1500 karma

Thank you for doing this ama Nick. What advice/tips would you give to an aspiring woodworker?

NickOfferman900 karma

That's a vast question, but I have been admirably served by the periodicals Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking, and also I wrote a book that should help, called Good Clean Fun, and I would just suggest that you start small and learn to sharpen and employ hand tools and make simple items - many pieces, as in the Shaker style for example, remain very simple in design and yet continue to provide great satisfaction even to masters like Christian Becksvoort. Just start getting to know the beauty of wood in a hands-on relationship - find a local sawyer and commune with the woods of your area - visit furniture shows/museums/craft fairs/tool shows and find other initiates, and also look at lots of work to discern the path you wish to pursue...

TheGsus407 karma

What techniques would you recommend to help me improve my precision with wood working, specifically for detailed cuts like box or dove-tail joints, and also specifically for cuts on a bandsaw?

NickOfferman772 karma

Practice x3. Knowing my own strengths and weaknesses, I just cut close to my line with as much accuracy as I can muster and then pare down to the line with a chisel. The paring is the key - knowing you will always be coming in to finish refining by hand lends a sense of security that your bandsaw cut doesn't nee to be THAT good.

millyagate398 karma

Do you watch game of thrones?

NickOfferman1746 karma

I have read the books voraciously and am wating to binge the show once the books have faded in my memory a bit to temper the inevitable disappointment from book to screen.

jableshables333 karma

What was the subject of the most heated argument you've had with your father?

NickOfferman1103 karma

Canvas vs. Leather Converse High Tops in 6th grade

mrleicester309 karma

Mr. Offerman! Every time you do an AMA I try to catch you, but it's usually too late.

My wife once gifted me a signed copy of Paddle Your Own Canoe; you dedicated it to Misth. I've always wanted to hear about what prompted you to dedicate it to Misth (if any reason in particular) so I have some sort of connection to the book signed by you?

Also, every year my wife and I have a tradition of taking a road trip to New Mexico and listening to the Paddle Your Own Canoe audio book along the way. It always brings me such great joy and makes me seriously rethink my life choices and want to quit my job. Just thought you should know what an impact it has on me.

We're from Oklahoma and seriously hope to run into you some day! Cheers!

NickOfferman681 karma

I am very grateful that my work has had positive repercussions for you and your bride, thanks for saying so. I often sign my books to oak, or to pith, or bacon, but in your case, that would be "to mirth". I apologize for what was apparently a crap-ass "r".

breakingbadjessie241 karma

NICK what is your best fathers day meal??

NickOfferman649 karma

One at a table with my family in Minooka, Illinois.

Its_Frosty230 karma

Oh my goodness I actually have a relevant question! What type of wood would you recommend using for an axe handle? For Father's day i'm restoring one of my Grandpa's axes for my dad. Got the head done, but the handle is proving tricky. Initially i was going to use a baseball bat because i thought it would look cool, but after giving it a second thought, that may be prone to turning in the hand while swinging so i figure i'll just make a more traditional handle. Thoughts?

NickOfferman444 karma

Traditionally (in the states) Ash or Hickory is used for an axe handle because of the intense and ultra-badass hardness contained in their cells. I have found great inspiration in many makings including axes on the YouTube channel of Jimmy Diresta.

dj1928219 karma

Hi Nick! I love all of you're books and was curious as to if you will be writing a fourth?

NickOfferman602 karma

Thank you very kindly, I love writing my books. There will be a fourth (according to my contract and my affections) but first my beautiful bride and I are writing a book together due out next year. HAVE YOU SEEN HER SHE IS MAGNIFICENT I highly recommend you peruse NancyAndBeth.com to see her incredible videos and purchase her astonishing music record. I love books!

strictlydicklyey217 karma

Nick! big fan! :)

My dad is too!

What should I get my dad for father's day?

NickOfferman699 karma

Make something. No matter how large/small/simple/complex, giving a gift into which you have put the effort of your hands and mind and heart carries more weight than most purchasable items. In short: Love. Give him love.

TsarWhores148 karma

What would you say the defining moment was in your relationship with your Dad? What advice would you give to new parents?

NickOfferman402 karma

He's a great Dad, so it's a lifetime of moments. He (with my Mom) taught me to be polite, work hard and be honest. I didn't always succeed, but fortunately I'm not done, so I get to keep improving my batting average, and I'm grateful he's around to see my improved swing. I have also grown fonder of the bunt.

NickOfferman325 karma

Oh, he also taught me to play baseball. And basketball.

jsgunn146 karma

Mr Offerman, I'm a novice woodworker slowly making my way through Good Clean Fun.

What is your favorite wood to work with which most of us would find affordable?

NickOfferman236 karma

If you can find a local sawyer who knows what he/she is doing, the removal of any middleman/woman really brings the price down. In Los Angeles, our pals at Angel City Lumber provide this luxury for us with a lot of Live Oak, California Sycamore, Black Acacia, Elm, Silver Maple and others...

I_Think_Future129 karma

What is your favorite brand of whiskey?

NickOfferman690 karma

It is with sincerity and a bit of discomfort that I say it is Lagavulin 16, because while that's the truth, I am also involved at this very moment in an advertising relationship with them, which is a funny circumstance. Scott King bought me my first glass of it in 1999 at the Chicago Film Festival and I have never found a drink enjoy quite so much. What a lucky bastard then, me, to land on a show (Parks & Rec) where they paid me to enjoy it, and then on top of that, the fine folks from the lovely island of Islay now shake hands with me when I go to visit the distillery and the neighborhood sheep with whom I am happily (and platonically) friends.

CrispyTangos124 karma

Hi Nick, neither my Father nor I are overly fond of Whisky, how do I fix this?

NickOfferman476 karma

Nothing wrong with that. Your livers are probably pretty happy about it.

mistamal116 karma

Nick I am sorry I like your wife better than I like you...

Anyway what does it feel like to be the father figure of the entire reddit community?

NickOfferman405 karma

I also prefer my wife to myself, there is no shame in it.

MrArnold66 karma

Nick, what's your favorite book of the past five years?

NickOfferman153 karma

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Suanders, easy.

spate4266 karma

Dry Aged or Wet Aged Steak?

NickOfferman258 karma

Yes, please and thank you.

Jilly_Bean1646 karma

Nick! My husband and I are big fans. He is a first time father this year, got any life advice for him in honor of Father's Day, or a favorite memory of your own father to share?

NickOfferman104 karma

Just keep applying your affection to good work, for it is a project that never ends.

My best Father's Day treat - read Wendell Berry's short story MAKING IT HOME (and while you're at it, read all of FIDELITY, the book it is in)

wwwnj5 karma

Hey Nick! We love Lagavulin too, tell us more on how you're planning to celebrate Father's Day this year! What's your favorite way to enjoy Lagavulin?

NickOfferman25 karma

Gosh, you sound like you really enjoy Lagavulin based on all the mentions of Lagavulin in your post. It was sincerely my fave Scotch before Parks & Rec came along and afforded me way more Lagavulin (Mike Schur the show's creator also prefers this nectar of the gods), and so my favorite way to enjoy it is in my mouth mainly, and then my breadbasket.