New Paul Sellers Book - 'Essential Woodworking Hand Tools'

[Blevins]

Anyone read Paul Sellers' newest book? I'm a subscriber to Woodworking Masterclasses and have picked up a lot from his videos, but just wondering whether the book is worth buying (and it's not so cheap)?

 

[D_W]

I'm wondering what it is that paul sellers teaches that isn't in the multitude of historical texts that have much better guidance on all of woodworking (in that they teach more from a perspective of understanding what you want to make before you start).

If you buy the pricey website membership and still need to buy the book, I'd question what the website membership was worth.

 

[matthewwh]

Oh the temptation........!

It would be unbelievably easy to dismiss Essential Hand Tools with "how the chuff can anyone write a whole book about a rusty smoother and four Aldi chisels!"

The trouble is, despite our diametrically opposed views on "tools should only need buying once" vs "tools shouldn't cost more than a pound", I genuinely like Paul and believe that he cares as deeply and passionately about the craft as any of us. We get an increasing number of customers describing themselves as Paul Sellers trained and that's as good a grounding as anyone needs to make informed decisions about where they want to take their woodworking next.

I don't necessarily think you need to invest in both books and online memberships, but there are still plenty of folk who enjoy an nice shuffly Sunday paper far more than the online edition. Horses for courses, and due respect to Paul for the gargantuan effort it must have taken to make his experience available to others in both formats.

 

[AJB Temple]

Well, Matthew is incentivised to sell tools and Paul Sellers in incentivised to sell books and web access. I have watched a few Paul sellers vids and think he gives good information but in a slow and laboured way. I suspect his writing style is not dissimilar so I would wait before buying this book until I had been able to see it and judge its usefulness. Whilst I like hand tools, I am somewhat of the philosophy that life is rather short and when you need something made, some mechanised help is no bad thing.

 

[lurker]

I can't see what the fuss is about.
Have watched a few of his u tubes and it's common sense stuff to be true but hardly ground breaking.
He is a good woodwork teacher if you know nothing I suppose, but this site has taught me all I needed over the years.
I still lack the skills of course

For instance this forum was raving about aldi chisels years ago when they first hit the shops.
I think I bought a set of the first batch on recommendation from here.
We were bragging who could get them the cheapest as there were lots of remainders left in the shops.

Ditto doing up old planes before it was fashionable: 10 years ago spending a fiver on a decent no 4 was really extravagant , back then I was buying boot planes just for the blades
It was this forum that drove that.

 

[bugbear]

Ditto doing up old planes before it was fashionable: 10 years ago spending a fiver on a decent no 4 was really extravagant , back then I was buying boot planes just for the blades
It was this forum that drove that.

I think this forum came a little late to that particular party.

There were enough people messing about with old tools that a guy wrote a book about it; Restoring, Tuning & Using Classic Woodworking Tools Paperback by Dunbar came out in 1989, but even he didn't "invent it"; he codified what people were already doing.

BugBear

 

[Rhossydd]

I have watched a few Paul sellers vids and think he gives good information but in a slow and laboured way.

I think you can say the same almost all instructional videos on You Tube.
They're produced by (video) amateurs that have little knowledge or understanding of how make a decent video production.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I'd agree that some woodworking videos and books don't quite have the production polish of the big-budget professional offerings, but I'm not sure that matters much. It's the content that counts, really.

Paul Sellers - unlike some - has a genuine lifetime of woodworking experience, and a willingness to convey what he's learned over that time. He does have his own particular likes and dislikes, and some strong woodworking opinions (somebody once said, "It's Paul's way or the highway"), and in common with all the other sources of information, probably shouldn't be swallowed alone, but in combination with other points of view. That said, he does a pretty good job of conveying the basics most of the time, and keeps to his basic idea of making woodworking available to people on a limited budget.

I do follow his free blog, though I've not bought his books or DVDs. I think of the books I've read, Bob Wearing's 'The Essential Woodworker' is still the best on introduction to technique, but if Paul's new book covers how to find, use and maintain (or make!) the basic tools, it could well be a useful addition to the woodworking library for someone finding their way in the craft - provided they're happy to pay the price charged for it.

 

[Bm101]

From a beginners point of view, I bought Working Wood 1 & 2 second hand, not that long ago. I think it's great for beginners because that's who it's aimed at.
Curiously I've read, not in this thread, that it's a weakness of the book. Strange. After reading lots on UKW I found it very useful and it tied together a lot of information I'd found as I learned piecemeal on here (and elsewhere on the net) over the last year or so. It's well written, clear and structured. I'm not qualified to speak from a more experienced viewpoint, obviously, but I'd recommend it to anyone starting blind. That other's have differences of opinion is no surprise and healthy. There is no single approach to anything of course which is the way it should be. That's life in general. The more you learn the more you know. That we can all do the same thing and come out with different opinions and experiences is the joy of life in a lot of ways.

That said, with all due respect, personally I won't be looking at buying the new one. I feel I have learned just enough to cope with out a book on tools. That's not to say I couldn't learn a lot from it, just that I've got to a position where I feel I know enough to know what I don't know if that makes sense. I have a huge amount to learn, I make mistakes all the time of course. But I feel I can learn enough from other sources now without buying another book. Maybe if it had come out 2 years ago I could have saved myself money and time in some of the mistakes I've made with tools. But really, I'm not sure. I probably would have just made different mistakes. There is no getting past that learning curve no matter what you do. All the books in the world will only teach you so much.

For the little it's worth I have a huge respect for the man as I do for others that might hold contradictory views, not because my opinion is worth anything or I'm even remotely qualified to speak with any authority like some on here, I just feel that anyone who has taught so many so much is to be valued. Of course he makes a living from it, good luck to the man I hope he does very well out of it. He deserves to. Anyone who helps people take up working with wood in any form is to be valued these days.

Just my tuppence.
Cheers
Chris

 

[custard]

I'm wondering what it is that paul sellers teaches that isn't in the multitude of historical texts.

It's a good question, I think the answer is that the world has changed.

In the Robert Wearing/Charles Hayward era there were still a smattering of experienced people around, so you might get a theoretical grounding from a book, but be able to finesse that learning from a conversation with an experienced relative or neighbour. Today those experienced relatives and neighbours just aren't there, so it's opened an opportunity for hand tool instruction at the absolute micro level.

Incidentally, I've flipped through the new Paul Sellers book and I thought it was pretty good, not earth shattering in its revelations but reasonably comprehensive and consistent. In particular I like the way he maps out a route into basic woodworking without spending a great deal of money. That's refreshing. His project designs are pretty dated and he occasionally gets a bit messianic in his tone, but at least he delivers a viable work plan and has the authority that comes from a lifetime "on the tools".

One thing I did puzzle over was the section on thin plane irons. I don't have a problem with thin irons, and agree with Paul Sellers that it makes sharpening much easier as it largely removes the need for power grinding. However, my personal frustration with thin irons is when you find the example that's slightly concave when viewed from the bevel side (just to be clear, you can get the same fault with thick irons too). In my experience this either means hours of tedious flattening or it leads to shavings getting stuck under the cap iron. Consequently, when faced with such an iron I generally abandon it and move on. Paul Sellers advocates a solution, laying the thin iron a piece of softwood with the "bump" uppermost, and delivering a firm blow with a soft faced hammer. Paul Sellers says "this works every time and it is quick and effective". I tried it, several times in fact and on a selection of Record, Stanley, and Woden irons that exhibited this fault. Maybe I was doing something wrong but my success rate was 0 out of 3!

 

[Bm101]

I'll pop round and show you how to do it Custard. I read it's easy. Bleedin' amateurs! :wink:

 

[Rhossydd]

I'm not sure that matters much. It's the content that counts, really.

If presentation is so poor you switch off, it's all wasted effort.

An example; I recently noticed someone had, probably illegally, uploaded to You Tube the contents of a commercial DVD by a prominent UK woodwork expert. As I was considering buying the DVD and possibly going on a course with the 'expert' I thought I'd have look to see if it was worth buying the full HD set.
Within ten minutes the expert's presentation had bored me to the point of switching it off, dull, dull, dull.
End result; poor production lost the expert a customer.

An alternative example are Sorby's videos to promote their products. Succinct, clear and well made. I went out and bought a SPE and some of their other tools when they were shown so well.

A slick well made production generates interest, gets the information across properly and might make money.

 

[Planebasics]

Well, having actually bought and read/skimmed Paul’s latest book, I’ll give my tuppence worth. It follows Paul’s usual line advocating the use of basic, useful and affordable tools. Everything is well set out, sections on how to use, fettle and maintain, layout tools, planes, saws, etc. And most importantly, sharpening. There are no projects, woodworking joints, etc. It simply is a tool book and as such, it’s thorough and measured, his writing style is similar to his videos and it is well laid out, full of photos and illustrations without being confusing. I would have liked the font to be slightly larger to ease my tired ageing eyes and I’d be hesitant to bring it out to my workshed, but I know I will as I wouldn’t like to spoil it (cause it’s a handsome publication).
It’s aimed at the beginner or improver like myself and if I had had anything like this 30 years ago when I first tried woodworking, well, I certainly wouldn’t still be an improver today. I’ve read and bought numerous woodworking books over the years and this is the first that would have got me up and working.
I must say that it was Jacob’s ‘Grimsdale method’ of sharpening that got me back at proper woodworking (thanks Jacob if you’re reading this), rather than screwing and nailing bits of wood together, having come across it on the web. Not being able to receive broadband (living in rural Ireland) my use of the internet is limited but thanks to it was able to locate various resources and bought dvds by different woodworkers. I found Paul Sellers to be the most effective teacher of all the bunch and I’ll be eternally grateful to him.
As to the cost of the book, I’m a frugal person living on a modest income but never have had a problem paying for any specialist publication. After all it’s only the cost of a serviceable but not fashionable pair of shoes, a bit like the book in fact.
It’s well worth the cost and will certainly add to my enjoyment and skill level in woodworking.
At the end of the day it’s all about making hand tool woodworking accessible and less mystifying to all and this book certainly does this. The dvds accompanying the book, (at additional cost) are good too.
Neil Carey

 

[MIGNAL]

I'm wondering what it is that paul sellers teaches that isn't in the multitude of historical texts.

Incidentally, I've flipped through the new Paul Sellers book and I thought it was pretty good, not earth shattering in its
One thing I did puzzle over was the section on thin plane irons. I don't have a problem with thin irons, and agree with Paul Sellers that it makes sharpening much easier as it largely removes the need for power grinding. However, my personal frustration with thin irons is when you find the example that's slightly concave when viewed from the bevel side (just to be clear, you can get the same fault with thick irons too). In my experience this either means hours of tedious flattening or it leads to shavings getting stuck under the cap iron. Consequently, when faced with such an iron I generally abandon it and move on. Paul Sellers advocates a solution, laying the thin iron a piece of softwood with the "bump" uppermost, and delivering a firm blow with a soft faced hammer. Paul Sellers says "this works every time and it is quick and effective". I tried it, several times in fact and on a selection of Record, Stanley, and Woden irons that exhibited this fault. Maybe I was doing something wrong but my success rate was 0 out of 3!

You need a bigger hammer. Works every time. Just fixed my laptop with one.

 

[D_W]

I'm not sure that matters much. It's the content that counts, really.

If presentation is so poor you switch off, it's all wasted effort.

An example; I recently noticed someone had, probably illegally, uploaded to You Tube the contents of a commercial DVD by a prominent UK woodwork expert. As I was considering buying the DVD and possibly going on a course with the 'expert' I thought I'd have look to see if it was worth buying the full HD set.
Within ten minutes the expert's presentation had bored me to the point of switching it off, dull, dull, dull.
End result; poor production lost the expert a customer.

An alternative example are Sorby's videos to promote their products. Succinct, clear and well made. I went out and bought a SPE and some of their other tools when they were shown so well.

A slick well made production generates interest, gets the information across properly and might make money.

I agree with cheshire. If the content isn't interesting enough, you're just looking for entertainment instead.

I say that as someone who is producing very plain unedited videos on youtube. If I had to edit them and put music to them or have multiple camera angles, I wouldn't put them up. And the content in most of them isn't in any other videos. I put them up solely because I knew there would be a small group of people interested enough in the content that they wouldn't worry about camera angles or pretty or edited. I get comments now and again from people looking for entertainment, and I've got no trouble telling them that they're not going to find my channel of interest because I have no financial interest to try to turn the videos into something popular for everyone. Well, no financial interest, and no interest in general. There are plenty of people playing the beginner's flute to make a nickel off of them.

 

[Rhossydd]

If the content isn't interesting enough, you're just looking for entertainment instead.

It's not an issue of 'entertainment' it's about communication.
If you've got something interesting or useful to say, communicate it effectively.

 

[Bm101]

Its semantics isn't it. We associate 'entertainment' with triviality maybe. I'd far rather read the same point, the same idea translated to me in an interesting and useful manner in an entertaining manner, one that grabs my attention. I don't mean you need to add Disco Balls. Just motivate me by inspiration.Is that not the definition of good teaching? Case in point for me is the English Woodworker. I love watching this fella though I've never paid for his tutorials. It'll be different for everyone on here but for me, I like his style. He enthuses me if that ain't going to far. Steady now. The videos are well produced (i'd guess there's a lot more going on than let on) but I find him entertaining. I can connect to him in some way I can't connect to many. Why? Dunno. Working bloke? Maybe. No frills? Maybe. Sense of humour? Christ knows. I just like the fella for some reason, so I find it easy and enjoyable to watch his stuff. Nothing wrong with being entertaining. If it's entertainment only and fluff that's a different matter. If you're earning a living out of youtube subscriptions or writing books you'd want to be entertaining your audience I'd guess. If you can teach and entertain and retain your integrity you're doing summat right.

 

[MarkDennehy]

He pretty much is Russell Brand with a hand plane though.
(Saying that, I've watched all his stuff and loved it, including the tutorials. Even if I never built another thing ever again, I'd judge that time well spent purely from the enjoyment level alone)

 

[D_W]

If the content isn't interesting enough, you're just looking for entertainment instead.

It's not an issue of 'entertainment' it's about communication.
If you've got something interesting or useful to say, communicate it effectively.

I think production value and communication are two different things. If I watch someone and I can't gather what they're trying to tell me, and I really want to know it, that's kind of annoying. If they do it without music and without smiling at me and making me feel good, I don't have any problem with that.

BM mentions just next that he wants something engaging and entertaining, and I think that's fine, but it goes more along the way to being open to watching just about anything. If you're watching something with a specific goal in mind, that tends to be less important.

 

[Trafalgar]

Those who might care to get out of the do-loop of the blind leading the blind and would like to see hand tools being wielded with an incredible amount of skill by a bona fide professional should look here. Warning, these are polished videos if for some reason that's become a bad thing, but seeing what hand work (and machine work too) looks like when done by a craftsman building professionally in feasible time frames is always worth a look. Not a hand tool only shop but watch anyway.

Click on any of the videos. They're all amazing:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... ure+makers

It serves to show the huge gulf between those of us who've mastered the cap iron vs. those who've mastered the actual craft.