The book under review, ladies and gentlemen, is a work and a half: two volumes totalling 888 pages with a further two volumes planned for publication in 2017.
They are made up entirely of facsimile articles which appeared in The Woodworker magazine under the editorship of Charles H. Hayward which ran from 1939 to 1967. As such they have an old fashioned appearance (in the best sense of the term) with the line drawing overwhelmingly predominating over the photograph. In fact, in terms of clarity and communication of information, the line drawings win hands down every time.
Vol. I is entitled Tools and Vol. II Techniques (the two future volumes will deal with projects). Some of the articles have a degree of overlap in their content. This is to be expected of course from material culled from a magazine, it being unlikely that e.g. the topic of sharpening having been addressed in, say, 1940 would never be dealt with subsequently. That said, while there is overlap there is certainly no redundant and dull repetition. In other words the compilers and the editor have done their jobs well.
When considering the content the example of the topic of sharpening is as good as any to discuss. The first 72 pages made up of 32 articles come under this general heading. The first few articles discuss the general principles of the topic and then individual types of tools are dealt with.
The rest of Vol I goes on to discuss the various types of tools e.g. there are 107 pages devoted to planes. All the other main categories of tools are dealt with and there is some space devoted to their application to specific techniques e.g. turning and veneering and inlay.
Vol II is harder to summarise as it presents such a cornucopia of information. The articles range from those specifically addressed to the beginner to fairly advanced topics like the making of cabriole legs. There is a wealth of information on drawers, doors, rebates and mouldings along with everything you ever wanted to know about glueing up, sketching and nails. (These topics were just selected as a result of the most random glance over the contents page.)
So what of the quality of the book itself? This material was published in an age when it was still expected that one would leave school functionally literate in one’s own language. In other words the reader is addressed in the manner of one sensible adult writing for another. There is a precision and clarity about the text which sometimes seems lacking in modern publications. The illustrations throw light onto the writing as opposed to being there as a sort of entertainment. In short, if you find Robert Wearing’s The Essential Woodworker to be a well written book, it is highly likely that you will approve of these two volumes.
There is little material which will surprise the experienced woodworker: most of the principles of the craft having been defined over the centuries. That said, it would be surprising indeed if one didn’t stumble across something which led to a murmuring of “Well, I never knew that!”
So how does one approach this wealth of information? This reviewer tried to skim read both volumes (“tried to” because in many, many places the skimming was suspended as fascinating articles held the attention), the idea being to get a feel for what is where in the case of information being needed in the future. Then the books will be read thoroughly from end to end over the coming months.
These volumes are published by The Lost Art Press and are, as to be expected from that house, of excellent physical and aesthetic quality. They can be had from Classic Hand Tools at GBP 35.95 each or 66.50 for the pair.
They are made up entirely of facsimile articles which appeared in The Woodworker magazine under the editorship of Charles H. Hayward which ran from 1939 to 1967. As such they have an old fashioned appearance (in the best sense of the term) with the line drawing overwhelmingly predominating over the photograph. In fact, in terms of clarity and communication of information, the line drawings win hands down every time.
Vol. I is entitled Tools and Vol. II Techniques (the two future volumes will deal with projects). Some of the articles have a degree of overlap in their content. This is to be expected of course from material culled from a magazine, it being unlikely that e.g. the topic of sharpening having been addressed in, say, 1940 would never be dealt with subsequently. That said, while there is overlap there is certainly no redundant and dull repetition. In other words the compilers and the editor have done their jobs well.
When considering the content the example of the topic of sharpening is as good as any to discuss. The first 72 pages made up of 32 articles come under this general heading. The first few articles discuss the general principles of the topic and then individual types of tools are dealt with.
The rest of Vol I goes on to discuss the various types of tools e.g. there are 107 pages devoted to planes. All the other main categories of tools are dealt with and there is some space devoted to their application to specific techniques e.g. turning and veneering and inlay.
Vol II is harder to summarise as it presents such a cornucopia of information. The articles range from those specifically addressed to the beginner to fairly advanced topics like the making of cabriole legs. There is a wealth of information on drawers, doors, rebates and mouldings along with everything you ever wanted to know about glueing up, sketching and nails. (These topics were just selected as a result of the most random glance over the contents page.)
So what of the quality of the book itself? This material was published in an age when it was still expected that one would leave school functionally literate in one’s own language. In other words the reader is addressed in the manner of one sensible adult writing for another. There is a precision and clarity about the text which sometimes seems lacking in modern publications. The illustrations throw light onto the writing as opposed to being there as a sort of entertainment. In short, if you find Robert Wearing’s The Essential Woodworker to be a well written book, it is highly likely that you will approve of these two volumes.
There is little material which will surprise the experienced woodworker: most of the principles of the craft having been defined over the centuries. That said, it would be surprising indeed if one didn’t stumble across something which led to a murmuring of “Well, I never knew that!”
So how does one approach this wealth of information? This reviewer tried to skim read both volumes (“tried to” because in many, many places the skimming was suspended as fascinating articles held the attention), the idea being to get a feel for what is where in the case of information being needed in the future. Then the books will be read thoroughly from end to end over the coming months.
These volumes are published by The Lost Art Press and are, as to be expected from that house, of excellent physical and aesthetic quality. They can be had from Classic Hand Tools at GBP 35.95 each or 66.50 for the pair.
