Woodwork magazines

[Knot Competent]

I've been offered a year's subscription to a mag. Don't want to start a war, but which would you choose? My preference would be for a British magazine, but what do you think?

Regards, John

 

[Noel]

British - GWW
US - FWW & PWW

Easy.

Noel

 

[Knot Competent]

But why?

 

[Noel]

'cause I like them?

John, best thing is get yourself down to the nearest W H Smith or decent news agent and have a good poke about what's on offer. GWW is good and improving. I just find the others a bit lightweight and more DIY orientated. No doubt somebody will mention F & C but, in my HO, it lost the plot years ago. Too much stuff about colleges and theory, although Kevin Ley's OK.
FWW, seriously good reading and a very wide subject base and it's title describes the content well.
PWW- slightly more project based and not quite so technical as FWW.
Granted the North American market is huge and therefore budgets are big but GWW does well considering.

Noel

 

[tim]

Agree with Noel totally.

Very pleased with GWW - I think it gives a pretty good cross section of woodworking in Britain and while not every project excites me or is my cup of tea, there is usually at least one or two things in each issue that really grab me, which I think is pretty impressive.

I picked up F&C the other day and was surprised how much of it seemed like a college prospectus and I think that Traditional Woodworking is just really, really, really badly written.

My only gripe with FWW maybe going off the boil a bit - seems to repeat itself quite a lot and is also quite 'finish' focussed. While I think that finish is clearly massively important, most of the brand names and products used just aren't available here so its a bit meaningless to the UK reader except for the techniques.

Most of the mags offer quarterly subscriptions so you could try a couple for 3 months and pick one you like.

Hope this helps

Tim

 

[Sgian Dubh]

John, if you're interested in a magazine that looks at the more esoteric end of woodworking rather than just the nuts and bolts of putting things together then you might consider the magazine Woodwork that comes out of California.

There are seven issues a year and subscription for UK based readers is US$25-00, currently about £15- £16, so not a huge risk financially if you decide you don't like it.

Most issues feature a well known woodworker and some technical articles, but the subject matter is often a bit off-the-wall. I've seen them describe in detail the work of Balinese mask carvers, deforestation in south America, tackle subjects such as sustainable forestry and so on.

The current issue which I received today profiles the work of Michelle Holzapfel and the work of Kenneth Fisher. Paul Sellers, a Brit based in Texas describes how to make a Craftsman style rocking chair. There's an article on automating a dust collecting system with wiring diagrams and so on. Chris Child, a Briton working in the UK and a fairly regular author turns a bracket clock. Whipping sticks used for for food preparation in eastern Europe are discussed and where they come from and how they are made is described. An author builds a front door which lends itself to discussing architectural door construction. Scandinavian Tiner bentwood box construction is discussed and described in detail-- they're superficially similar to the more familiar Shaker boxes.

There's an editors commentary, letters and tips page of course and a regular gallery featuring new work.

I must declare an interest because from time to time my verbal diarrheoa is published in this magazine, but if you're interested (or anyone else is interested for that matter) in perhaps taking out a subscription then let me know and I can provide contact details-- Woodwork doesn't have a website that you can sign up at. Slainte.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi John

As Noel says, if you want a UK mag then look no further than GWW and from the US FWW and PWW.

GWW seems to be going from strength to strength with each issue whilst FWW has appeared a little off-the-boil recently. FWW is still head and shoulders above all of the UK mags. It has such vast resources that GWW et al would never be able to compete.

I can't comment on the quality of PWW as, after ten weeks, I'm still waiting to receive my first issue. :roll:

It's a pity, but WHS in GEM (The Great East Midlands), Kings X, St.Pancras no longer stock any woodworking magazines and this will be a hammer blow, in terms of revenue, to all of the woodworking magazines in the UK.

The only way you'll get to see any mags is by going to your local newsagent. In London, Borders are excellent and they also have a lot of the US mags.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Alf]

John, if you're interested in a magazine that looks at the more esoteric end of woodworking rather than just the nuts and bolts of putting things together then you might consider the magazine Woodwork that comes out of California.

Yeah, I've heard that one mentioned a couple of times on the US fora and wondered. Just not sure whether I'm esoteric enough, and I'm supposed to be trying to cut down my subs. Still, if you could put up the details, Richard, I might be moved to give in. :roll:

It's a pity, but WHS no longer stock any woodworking magazines and this will be a hammer blow, in terms of revenue, to all of the woodworking magazines in the UK.

Oh. Really? They're still stocking them down here. Maybe the new edict hasn't got down this far yet... That's how I've been able to notice a few magazine mergers recently. The Woodworker seems to have encorporated The Woodturner (I think?) and one of the others (Practical Woodworking?) seems to now include something else too. About time too; maybe we can get a sensible number of good magazines, and fewer repeats of the same article across sister publications.

Anyway, the original question.

PWW would be my first choice of US, simply because they're on the way up with the quality of their articles while FWW is going in the opposite direction. And their coverage of hand tool stuff beats everyone else hollow. Just need to get the subs sorted.

For the UK, I've had a sub to GWW since the dawn o' time, or at least that's how it feels, and despite occasional "shall I stop taking it?" thoughts, I can never quite bring myself to do so. It's got such an ecclectic selection of articles and projects there's just always at least one thing you can get out of every issue, but more often than not there's more than that. Also a great resource to refer back to. I've given up my sub to F&C; I just wasn't reading it, and at the price it was a total waste of money. I only subscribed in the first place 'cos I found a really good low price for it. About the only thing I used to get it for was DC's articles and they disappeared. Needless to say they reappeared as soon as my sub lapsed :roll: , but looking it over in Smith's I simply wasn't moved to resubscribe. I think what bugs me most is the projects where they've just taken pics of the completed piece and there are no work in progress shots; GWW doesn't do that. Haven't taken any of the others for ages, but a flick through hasn't got me buying any of them.

Cheers, Alf

For the record: subs to PWW, GWW & FWW. No affiliation to any of them.

 

[cambournepete]

The GMC mags - F&C, the Router, New (?) Woodworking tend to recycle their articles too much, so you can pay for the same thing 3 times. I only get F&C and the Router 'cos they were on a good offer - I'm not going to renew them.

FWW is good, but way above my capabilities at the moment and I wasn't reading it properly.

GWW seems pretty balanced to me and I'll probably renew my subsrciption.

PWW - just got my first copy, but as others say it does look good.

Borders usually have a good selection of UK and US magazines available for browsing...

All very personal opinions - you really need to see a mag to know if it's for you.

HTH,

Pete

 

[tim]

For those that have subscribed to PWW and haven't got the issues yet, did you opt for surface mail or air mail. Obviously there is no point paying lots more for it to be delayed but I just wondered since I'm thinking of subscribing.

T

 

[Anonymous]

I was in the largest WH Smith in the area earlier today and not one woodworking mag for sale

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Tim

For those that have subscribed to PWW and haven't got the issues yet, did you opt for surface mail or air mail.

Was there an option?

I wouldn't pay extra for air mail as it's only five days by sea.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Charley]

I can't comment on the quality of PWW as, after ten weeks, I'm still waiting to receive my first issue

I ordered mine around the same time as you Neil and I got my first copy today so yours should arrive soon.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Charley

Thanks for that. I thought you'd gone over to collect it. :wink:

Cheers
Neil

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I might be moved to give in.

Here you go Alf. Subscriptions should be sent to,

Woodwork, Subscriptions,
PO BOX 1529,
ROSS, CA, 94957-9987,
USA.

They require payment in US funds, so credit card is usually easiest. One year is $25, 2 yrs., is $47, and three years is $67.

Incidentally, I should have said there are six issues a year, not the seven I said earlier.

Another way you might go about subscribing would be to contact John Lavine, the editor of the magazine to make enquiries. He'll either respond directly or forward your email to Ross Periodicals subscriptions department.

I'm always reluctant to put up real email addresses in open forums, but if you remove the obvious error in this,
woodwork[FAKE]@rossperiodicals.com
your email should get through to him. Slainte.

 

[Noel]

I've had a few issues of Woodwork (£2.95 a throw) and it can be quite interesting. Another one is, is - can't remember the name - black and white, a spin-off of PWW. I've got a few issues, somewhere.

Noel

 

[Alf]

Ta muchly, Richard.

 

[trevtheturner]

W H Smith do still sell woodworking mags. High Town, Hereford branch yesterday morning - six different titles on sale! Including the latest edition of GWW on the day it was published. FWIW.

Trev.

 

[tim]

Ah but thats because Hereford is a thriving metropolis and the centre of the universe. Haven't you seen the labels on perfume: London, New York, Paris, Hereford, Tokyo!

It still has the worst cinema in the world though! If you go to the evening viewings you can hear the club next door through the walls! I think the new film this week is 'Jaws'. Can't wait

T

 

[trevtheturner]

Didn't know about the cinema, Tim. I find films boring and generally a waste of time - I'd rather be in the club next door! I did go and watch "Battle of Britain" though back in the 60s - before you were born, son! :wink:

Cheers,

Trev.