The Anarchist's Tool Chest, Christopher Schwarz

[custard]

Just finished this book. Really enjoyable read, and it's refreshing to find a book about craftsmanship that's beautifully and traditionally bound. I've often thought David Charlesworth's massively impressive trilogy really deserves to be re-written to make it more structured and comprehensive (also dropping the cheesy F&C photos and replacing them with dignified line drawings) and properly bound as a hardback. It could then take it's place as the definitive treatise on using hand tools, which after all is what it actually is.

But back to The Anarchist's Tool Chest, the central message is that most of us are struggling with too many tools, sometimes of poor quality or badly fettled. We'd be more productive, and probably enjoy our woodworking more, if we had fewer, better tools. He then outlines the tools that he believes are the essential set, and goes on to build a tool chest to store them in. Nice idea and a compelling tale.

I wouldn't agree with every word he writes, but the general sentiment is difficult to argue with, if I only had one block planes instead of a dozen or more I'd probably maintain it better and use it more efficiently!

Anyhow, a great book that most people here would thoroughly enjoy, even if they are occasionally apoplectic at some of his choices, get it on your santa list!

 

[softtop]

Sounds great. However, I thought you couldn't t buy in the UK? Where did you get yours?

Thanks.

 

[custard]

I bought it from LN in the US (I travel there regularly with my job), however I'm planning on getting some other fairly obscure stuff from LN and I'm going to see if I can source them via Classic Handtools in the UK.

 

[Mr Ed]

I've read it and would agree with custards comments. I'm not sure I'll implement everything he says, but it's well written and thought provoking.

I bought it from Dictum in Germany, works out about £30 ish with postage and costs.

Definitely one of the leading contemporary writers on hand tools, so should be on the reading list of any serious woodworker.

Ed

 

[Jacob]

Yes it's good, but no index!
Also could have done with a good editor and graphics/book designer. A lot of his ramblings could have been trimmed a bit (25% reduced perhaps?) and a few bits expanded upon. The book itself is well made but the layout is a mess.
Good book - could have been even better, looking forwards to a 2nd well edited and redesigned edition!

 

[powerhouse]

The companion DVD is quiet good also, he tells you witch make of tools he prefers and why.

 

[János]

Hello,

I am sure, that I will never buy that book, as the title tells too much for me...
So the message is "fewer tools are better tools"... What a revelation... Most of the amateur woodworkers struggle, because they lack even basic theoretical and practical knowledge of the craft. Without proper education, one must reinvent the craft from the very basics, and becomes prone to fall victim of merchandising and marketing.

There is no such thing, as "essential set" as everything depends on the nature and type of work one makes. A spokeshave is very useful in any workshop for example, but a bow-maker, a chair-maker, or anybody doing lots of curvaceous work needs more. I am a cabinetmaker, and have five of them. I use them only occasionally, but they could save the day from time to time... But I know why and when to use them...

Have a nice day,

János

 

[Shrubby]

I'm with János
This is old news to professionals.
You buy what you need
Matt

 

[jimi43]

Without buying loads of tools of different levels and multiples of the same tools the education evolution suffers....

If you don't buy rubbish you don't fully appreciated fettled mid-range and ultimately are experienced enough to appreciate classic tools.

Granted..most of us eventually gravitate to favourite tools and should slim down the "learning" collection...but without that journey we are jumping from embryo to world class athlete without having being born...crawled and toddled about a bit...falling over occasionally before walking properly and then refining our gait.

It is often a mistake for a master craftsman to forget that journey and try and short circuit the pleasure of the journey itself.

Thanks for the review custard...I might read it once I get out of this nappy (or should I say "diaper"! :wink:

Jim

 

[dunbarhamlin]

One thing very refreshing about this book, is that through his reviews of (some genuinely super) tools, Chris has inadvertently fuelled the more-tools-is-better approach amongst us hamateurs. This redresses the balance. Will have to get a copy, but hide it from my saws.

 

[Benchwayze]

I think if I wrote a book on woodwork, I would use a pen name, and I would be very chary of posting a gloat!

John :mrgreen:

 

[Mr Ed]

Just to clarify, the idea of having only the tools you need is just one concept discussed in the book. It's about loads of other stuff as well, so it would be a gross over simplification to judge the book on the basis that this is all he has to say.

Ed

 

[Mr Ed]

He must have heard you Jacob, index now available;

http://lostartpress.wordpress.com/2011/ ... index-for-‘the-anarchist’s-tool-chest’/

Ed

 

[Jacob]

He must have heard you Jacob, index now available;

http://lostartpress.wordpress.com/2011/ ... index-for-‘the-anarchist’s-tool-chest’/

Ed

Downloading as we speak.

.... I've often thought David Charlesworth's massively impressive trilogy ....

Just spotted this on re-reading the thread. Are they any good?
I got the first one and thought it was just a few skimpy notes - reprinted mag articles, with hardly anything about furniture in spite of the title. Didn't bother with the others.
Must have a closer look.

Schwarzy goes on about dividers at some point, but without going into detail. Makes a change from too much detail!
I got the impression I was missing something and could do with an explanation of what you can do with dividers (divide?) other than the obvious (transferring a measurement).*

He's wrong about wooden marking gauges - he must have had an experience with some badly made examples.

*unless he just means geometrical dividing of angles and lines, as you do with compasses

 

[custard]

He must have heard you Jacob, index now available;

http://lostartpress.wordpress.com/2011/ ... index-for-‘the-anarchist’s-tool-chest’/

Ed

Downloading as we speak.

.... I've often thought David Charlesworth's massively impressive trilogy ....

Just spotted this on re-reading the thread. Are they any good?
I got the first one and thought it was just a few skimpy notes - reprinted mag articles, with hardly anything about furniture in spite of the title. Didn't bother with the others.
Must have a closer look.

You're right, they're a hotchpotch of recycled Furniture & Cabinetmaking articles, consequently they don't appear in a particularly logical or useful order (for example the full story of plane fettling is spread across all three volumes. In fact it's even worse, there's additional Charlesworthian plane iron preparation information available in "Hand Tool Essentials" from Popular Woodworking, and yet further gems that crop up in his Lie Nielsen DVD's.

However, none of that changes the fact that David Charlesworth's collected writings represents the most complete treatise on the preparation and use of hand tools available today.

I just wish that some enlightened publisher would commission him to start again and present it all in one rational and structured volume. Now that really would guarantee his place in woodworking history and win the gratitude of cabinetmaker's as yet unborn!

 

[Jacob]

.......
However, none of that changes the fact that David Charlesworth's collected writings represents the most complete treatise on the preparation and use of hand tools available today....

Really? That's a big claim. The others must be good as there isn't a lot in the first one!
There's a lot of peripheral stuff which nobody really needs: 2 chapters on Jap chisels, modifying a marking gauge, too many posh plane plugs, making a spokeshave etc. Nothing about saws.
He's right about 5 or 5 1/2 as best single plane choice and the chapter on unwinding is good (but long winded - a paragraph would do it - mag articles tend to be very padded).
Otherwise a bit thin.
"Complete Treatise" implies thorough, wide ranging, detailed etc, This ain't it by a long chalk.
It's just a small and loose collection of bits n bobs.

 

[custard]

.......
"Complete Treatise" implies thorough, wide ranging, detailed etc, This ain't it by a long chalk.

You're misquoting.

I didn't say "complete treatise", I said "the most complete treatise...available today". Name me something more complete and in print, and I'll happily retract.

 

[Jacob]

.......
"Complete Treatise" implies thorough, wide ranging, detailed etc, This ain't it by a long chalk.

You're misquoting.

I didn't say "complete treatise", I said "the most complete treatise...available today". Name me something more complete and in print, and I'll happily retract.

Schwarzy for starters.
There's stacks of stuff on tools and usage but come to think maybe there isn't so much on "preparation" as such. Because by and large most tools don't need any preparation - you just sharpen, set, and go, plus a bit of routine maintenance. So perhaps you are right.

 

[Benchwayze]

Custard,

I think you will find that Aldred A Watson, in his book, 'Hand Tools - Their Ways and Workings.', says a lot more about a lot more tools. (This is NOT a criticism of DC. I must add.) But I believe Watson does cover more woodwork tools in one place.

The copy I have is out of print, but I believe it has just been reprinted. If you can get a copy, you will be delighted with it.

John :wink:

PS. I just checked... There are new copies; shipping from UK, (Paperback) obtainable from Amazon.co.uk for around £10.00) You won't get much better value in our field, I promise you.

John

 

[houtslager]

Well for those that are not lucky enough to have a copy, there imho is a complete treatise on hand tools and their use - all of 92 pages though.

But that in comparison to the book it is written in , is a small portion. 6 books each 290 +/- pages.

By whom you may ask - Thomas Corkhill F B I C C MI Strct.E M Coll.H and edited by Richard Greenhalgh,

Published 1929

hth,

K