Lost Art Press will be offering signed copies of “Handplane Essentials” as soon as the book becomes available the first week in August.
The book, a 312-page hardback, is a compilation of all my writings on planes during the last decade from Popular Woodworking, Woodworking Magazine, The Fine Tool Journal, my blog at Woodworking Magazine, my blog here at Lost Art Press and the writing I have done for other web sites and the Lee Valley Tools newsletter.
Honestly, if you’ve kept up with all the publications and outlets above, you won’t find much new in the book. In putting the text together I eliminated some redundancies, filled in some potholes and generally recast some of the articles so that everything made sense. I think it’s a very good introduction to sharpening, bench planes and joinery planes. I didn’t get into the moulding planes so much – I’m still not confident enough there to really write about it with any authority.
So I’m generally pleased with the result. The interior is going to feature sepia-toned photos like Woodworking Magazine (if you want a full-color version, we will sell you a box of crayons as well). The book’s paper will be nice, as will the cloth-bound hardback cover and dust jacket. I’m also pleased to tell you that we negotiated hard to get this printed in the United States (in Ohio, actually).
Here’s how the pricing and availability will work. Lost Art Press will lose some sales by telling you all this, but I’d rather just be honest with you.
Lost Art Press will be selling the book for the full retail price of $34.99 with free shipping. It will be signed by me (and by my daughter Katy as well if you please).
Right now my employer, F+W Media, is offering the book at a pre-sale discount until the end of July. It’s $27.99 plus free shipping. Click here to get to their store.
Starting in August, F+W’s price will return to $34.99 (plus free shipping) for six months. Lee Valley Tools will then be carrying it and will (almost certainly) sell it for less than full retail.
Amazon.com, Buy.com and other retail outlets will not be carrying the book until at least January 2010. Their websites might say they are going to carry it and discount it, but they are in error.
In any case, thanks for all your support. No matter where you buy the book it will help support the work we do and show there is a solid base of support for books on traditional tools.
As a way of saying thanks, you can download a copy of the introduction to the book, which will give you a flavor for its look.
All the best,
— Christopher Schwarz
Your blog entry was just a little later that the one from F+W. Already ordered one but, sadly, without the signature. 😉
That’s ok though. It is the content I am interested in. Thanks for taking the time to write about hand tools and such. Helps satisfy the thirst for that area of knowledge that some of us have.
Take care,
Toby
Chris,
I want to commend you for honesty.
Many books or "special edition" magazines end up being reprints of previously published work. Having been hoodwinked by such offerings, I have become rather jaded.
Being willing to share the source of the contents reinforces the positive impression many of us have of the whole F+W family.
Thank you,
Jim
Chris,
Nice intro. I like the humility and I did find it encouraging that someone like yourself whose celebrity has reached the point where even his used up and cast off oil soaked "woobie" turns a profit on ebay, still has something to learn.
Shannon
I, for one, decided a while ago I’m willing to pay for blog material reorganized in book form. I’ll also pay the LAP price for the autograph. Now if I can just squeeze a winning Woobie bid into my July tool budget, all will be right with the world.
Chris, thanks for putting this book together. It might not contain a lot of new material but presentation is everything and having it in a book beats looking through 20 different magazines.
Also, thanks for working hard to get this printed in the US. I’m sure it was tough — just as I’m sure the price would have been lower had it been printed in China.
I’m gonna order my copy from Lost Art Press. Will all the books from LAP be signed Katy and yourself?
regards,
Dave
Dave,
Preventing my Katy from signing books is difficult. Likely every one of the books from Lost Art Press will be signed by both of us.
Chris
Chris, I’ll wait to buy it with the autograph (Katy’s too). Some day when both of us are in woodworking heaven (or hell if you look at some of my earlier work), my grandkids will show your book on the future version of Antiques Roadshow, and it will be worth a mint with the signatures! Pity the poor guys that save seven bucks now–their grandkids will be cussing their names.
hi Chris, I want a coppy signe by both of you! And I’m realy happy that some people, like you, still beleave in putting a book together! Nothing better than good old paper!!
Good work on the book!
David
Hey Chris,
I’d like to order an autographed copy of the book from Lost Art Press, but I don’t see it up on the "books" page yet. How do we order it from you guys? Is it just not available yet and I’m being impatient? Thanks,
Anthony
PS I’ve really enjoyed both your blogs since I discovered them a month ago.