UK woodworking mags

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Once one has been subscribing for about 10 years, it becomes apparent that the topics begin to cycle. I vaguely recall that the figure of 7 years was used in this regard. No one wants to cycle through this more than twice. As it is, if you have been woodworking seriously for a dozen years, it is likely that much of the content will be old hat. My old Rule of Thumb was there needed to be three articles of interest to warrant a purchase. These days mags are very light reading, and since they are cheap enough (I can claim them as a tax deduction), ey are not taken seriously. It is a bonus to find something new.

I used to contribute to the Australian Wood Review, but stopped as the time required to write an article was so great. Writing for my website has the benefit of not having a deadline.

I miss a mag such as Woodwork, which offered great biographies, and interesting designs, as well as Home Furniture (by the same folks as FWW), where furniture builds were described by guys like Krenov. F&C at times offer some good articles.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[yetloh]

I miss a mag such as Woodwork, which offered great biographies, and interesting designs, as well as Home Furniture (by the same folks as FWW), where furniture builds were described by guys like Krenov. F&C at times offer some good articles.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I have every issue of Home Furniture and they still bear examination. Unlike FWW this magazine was forward looking in terms of design. That it didn't survive beyond about 15 telld you all you need to know about the tastes of the average US woodworker. I once commented to this effect on a US forum expecting a storm of diagreement and abuse but all I got was a couple of guys agreeing with me.

Jim

 

[D_W]

I'm not part of the studio furniture fan club in the US, but I would imagine that modern design doesn't sell that well here compared to the favor it seems to get in Europe.

I've noticed that in a lot of continental Europe, there is an extreme interest in modernity of items combined with a desire to preserve old items. In the US, I guess we're somewhere between because something 250 years old here is an old item (building, etc). I saw an argument string out in a youtube video between US and european truck drivers about who had better trucks. the ongoing theme from the euro truck drivers that how "modern" the truck is is very important (e.g., the interior needs to look modern, the electronics need to look modern). Such things don't get mainstream attention in the US.

I don't think there's a prevailing winner in the US, the amish and the mennonites are the only small scale furniture makers I know of making a volume of goods and actually making a living at it. Anyone else is usually doing something in houses (kitchen cabinets, trim work, etc).

If I got a magazine and it was full of, as you say, forward looking design, I wouldn't get it twice.

 

[yetloh]

D_W,

What you say confirms my view tthat US tastes are quite different from those in Europe and FWW is clearly doing the right commercial thing in catering for local taste. As woodworkers, what is important to us is that we get satisfaction from what we do and that clearly involves matters of taste. I can appreciate and enjoy any piece of furniture in any style if it is beautifully made and, in the end, what counts is keeping the craft alive.

Some Americans have described my furniture as "studio" but it is a term hardly used over here and one of which I am a bit suspicious because I have seen too many pieces to which that description is attached which on close examination don't seem to be very practical - e.g. chairs that wil clearly not be comfortable, and a piece of furniture that doesn't fulfill its basic function well is a failure. In the UK at least we are fortunate to have a significant number of really good contemporary makers who seem able to make a living out of making bespoke furniture to very high standards. This is to quite a large extent down to John Makepeace who for 20 or 30 years taught a lot of outstanding young makers about design and making, but just as importantly, how to run a business. For me it is a legacy of which he should be proud, perhaps the US needs a Makepeace.

Jim