Mortice and Tenon Magazine

[Sheffield Tony]

I got my copy of issue #2 yesterday. I've only had time for a quick glance, but there seems to be a lot of chairmaking, and even a pole lathe in there ! And a lot of photographs of period dovetail joints. I'm looking forward to a good read.

 

[cowfoot]

Phew, I thought I was the only one mad enough to shell out twenty odd quid on a magazine!
It's a work of beauty though.
The editor's working on a book for Lost Art Press, looks really interesting -
https://blog.lostartpress.com/2017/03/1 ... k-to-life/

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I type this with a fair degree of reluctance, because I genuinely don't wish to denigrate the efforts of those who contributed to and produced 'Mortice and Tenon' magazine.

But...... (you knew there was a whacking great 'but' coming along, didn't you?) I bought a copy of issue 1, and whilst I thought that if you are interested in the museum-style conservation of 18th and 19th century furniture of the North-East USA, it was comprehensive and good value, if your woodworking interests are not quite so narrowly focussed......maybe not quite so much.

That said, I look forward to people's thoughts on issue 2. If the subject matter expands its horizons a little from issue 1, it could be a worthwhile investment.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

CC does have a point. It is far from a general purpose woodworking magazine. A strong conservation bias and of course American style. But it does have a fair bit to say about the techniques of hand making, in the era when handmade was the norm. Things we have discussed on here like overcut dovetails, economy of effort in finishing non-show surfaces etc.

I quite like to have a woodworky read to dip in to, and have worked my way through the magazines; the UK ones I've tried had too many adverts and product placement, and power tool tips which don't interest me, little about hand work. I took Fine Woodworking for a few years which was better, and perhaps eased me in to the American style of M&T ! Mortice & Tenon is hardly a magazine though, being weighty and annual, so the price is not so unreasonable I think. I can imagine that I may tire of the somewhat pretentious style eventually !

 

[PAC1]

I am with CC on this, I found issue 1 mildly interesting but it had no relevance. I have not bought issue 2

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

CC does have a point. It is far from a general purpose woodworking magazine. A strong conservation bias and of course American style. But it does have a fair bit to say about the techniques of hand making, in the era when handmade was the norm. Things we have discussed on here like overcut dovetails, economy of effort in finishing non-show surfaces etc.

I quite like to have a woodworky read to dip in to, and have worked my way through the magazines; the UK ones I've tried had too many adverts and product placement, and power tool tips which don't interest me, little about hand work. I took Fine Woodworking for a few years which was better, and perhaps eased me in to the American style of M&T ! Mortice & Tenon is hardly a magazine though, being weighty and annual, so the price is not so unreasonable I think. I can imagine that I may tire of the somewhat pretentious style eventually !

Exactly Tony. I have little interest in the style of the designs included, but I want to know more about the construction methods and their rationale.

I find most of the magazines have become mundane - which either reflects that I have outgrown them or, more likely, that they stick to a basic formula, and I have read it all before.

I miss a quick read in bed or on long plane trips. I have all of the early Fine Woodworking and Woodwork (the best mag of all) on my iPad, and have read them all a few times. M&T magazine was purchased partly because there is nothing else that piques my interest.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I find most of the magazines have become mundane - which either reflects that I have outgrown them or, more likely, that they stick to a basic formula, and I have read it all before."

Yes - I last bought w/w mags regularly in 1992, when we had just moved house and were a bit tight for money. Things had to go, and they were one. I bought one in a while for a couple of years and every time I read one it was groundhog day.

 

[cowfoot]

I feel like I should stick up for M&T a bit, even if it's just to justify the price.
The photography is superb and the production values in general are much higher than any other woodwork magazine.
I didn't feel it was narrowly focused at all - quite the opposite in fact; interviews with conservators and museum specialists broaden its scope considerably. The tone's a bit high falutin' academic, but I guess that's the readership it's pitched at. Our American cousins seem to treat the history of craftwork with an admirable degree of respect and interest - I'm currently reading a book ("Duncan Phyfe - Cabinet Maker In New York") published to coincide with an exhibition of furniture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I can't imagine a major UK institution staging anything similar, currently. Sharks in tanks with pretentious titles or Diana's dresses, however...

 

[AJB Temple]

Where can one buy it in the UK? I tried on-line via teh US site and it did not appear to work with paypal.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Classic Hand Tools is the only place to go. £21.75 + £3.95 P&P (unless part of a bigger a spending spree !)

 

[AJB Temple]

Thank you Tony. Ordered. I managed to resist buying anything else.