Burglary at Korbly Wood Products in Miranda steals decades of handcrafted goods

Thieves forced their way into Korbly Wood Products in Miranda and removed decades of custom furniture, tools, and finishing supplies that made the shop a familiar stop along the Avenue of the Giants. Family members discovered the break-in after arriving at the closed shop and found the front door popped open and the back fence breached.

The burglary occurred on January 18, 2026, and the Korbly family estimates the total loss at tens of thousands of dollars. Sierra Korbly, daughter of founder Bernie Korbly, described the entry method: “They took a screwdriver and popped open the front door.” She said the intruders also accessed the shop by breaching a privacy fence and entering from the back.

Once inside, thieves took both equipment and finished work. “They took four or five saws. They took all of our sanders… all the sandpaper and the wood glue and wood putty and finishes,” Sierra said. She added that most of the shop’s charcuterie boards were taken: “They took all the charcuterie boards but one… probably 15 to 20 boxes… There is one big bistro table that’s missing, [it’s] probably close to a $6,000 table.”

Korbly Wood Products traces its roots to the early 1970s, when Bernie Korbly founded the business. The shop has operated in Miranda since the late 1970s, producing custom furniture, bowls, boxes, tables, and other hand-crafted wooden pieces that drew visitors driving the scenic Avenue of the Giants. Following Bernie Korbly’s death, the shop has remained closed while the family decides what to do with the business and its legacy.

The loss has immediate financial implications for the family and for local makers who rely on craft tourism and passersby for sales. High-value items and specialized woodworking tools can be expensive to replace and are often uninsured or underinsured in small, family-run shops. The removal of finished pieces with engraved insignia or initials raises the prospect that stolen items could surface in resale channels; the family has alerted local businesses and second-hand shops to watch for distinctive Korbly work.

The Korbly family filed a burglary report with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and is asking the community to help identify missing pieces. Residents and local merchants are encouraged to report suspicious sightings or attempted sales of high-quality wooden goods consistent with Korbly’s craftsmanship. To aid recovery efforts, Sierra Korbly can be contacted at 707-943-3645.

This theft cuts into more than inventory; it chips away at a multi-decade craft legacy and a small-business presence along a key Humboldt tourist corridor. For now, the community’s vigilance and swift reporting to law enforcement and local shops offer the best chance of recovering the stolen work and helping the Korbly family decide the next steps for their shop.