Lost Art Press

2 Lost Art Press Books Named to F&C’s ‘Essential Reading List’

Posted on by Lost Art Press

The winter 2012 issue of Furniture and Cabinetmaking magazine have called out two Lost Art Press books – “The Essential Woodworker” and “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” – as 12 of the “must-have titles for your workshop library.”

It’s an honor to be in a list of books that includes many of our woodworking heroes, including Charles Hayward, Jim Kingshott, Alan Peters and James Krenov.

The article praises Robert Wearing’s “The Essential Woodworker” as “a seminal text that every single woodworker should have to hand when undertaking any project.” I couldn’t agree more. Wearing’s book is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle in my personal development as a craftsman.

For “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest,” the magazine says it “makes a compelling case for the use of a traditional tool chest and shows readers how to build it well.”

In celebration of this, we will continue to do exactly what we’ve been doing since 2007. So back to editing A.J. Roubo.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. For our readers in the United Kingdom, you can purchase our books at Classic Hand Tools and Axminster.

26 thoughts on “2 Lost Art Press Books Named to F&C’s ‘Essential Reading List’”

  6. I would like to see some of Lost Art Press’ books put on the required reading lists of some university courses (e.g., History of Technology), assuming such courses still exist. While we wait for that, I will hoist a beer in honor of this happy event.

  10. Although I think it’s interesting that most people focus on the Chest aspect of the book. I personally found the most insightful area of the book is the tool,describing what you really need and why its a good idea to own those. That has changed my woodworking dramatically in and of itself as I focus on getting a decent tool and learning how to use it, rather than getting every tool under the sun. Now that I have 95% of the tool list, I find that I focus much more on working wood rather than futzing with my tools.

  11. I could not agree more with the above sentiments. I have given these two books as gifts to anyone I know with an interest in hand tools. Of the hundred or more books on the subject I have been exposed to I believe these two are THE BEST place to start. A road map of what to buy, how to use those new purchases and what to build first with them.

  13. Congratulations LAP! I hope you are on more “essential” lists in the future. Is there anyway to see the full list?
    Jonathan
    ================================

    1. ‘The Essential Woodworker’ by Robert Wearing
      ‘The Anarchist’s Toolchest’ by Chris Schwarz.
      ‘Making Classic English Furniture: A Modern Approach to Traditional Cabinetmaking’ by Paul Richardson [note – Richardson was the founder and first editor of F&C, and a fifth generation working cabinetmaker.]
      ‘A Cabinetmaker’s Notebook’ by James Krenov.
      ‘Cabinetmaking – The Professional Approach’ by Alan Peters.
      ‘The Handplane Book’ by Garrett Hack.
      ‘Understanding Wood’ by Bruce Hoadley.
      ‘The Perfect Edge’ by Ron Hock.
      ‘The Workshop’ by Jim Kingshott.
      ‘Cutting Edge Cabinetmaking’ by Robert Ingham.
      ‘The Woodworker’s Pocket Book’ by Charles H Hayward.
      ‘The Technique of Furniture Making’ by Ernest Joyce.

  14. I am curious as to what would be on YOUR top twelve list. Heck, I am hard pressed to sift through my own top twelve, as it has evolved drastically over the years. Top twelve most re-read over the years? top twelve bench reference books?(as in, keep handy near the bench for use throughout the week) Top twelve most influential to my woodworking ? Time to cull the library.

      1. I’ll dig thru my back issues and eyeball it. Everyone has their own personal spin on this, of course.I’ll offer up a few of my favorites.
        Books on theory;
        1.The nature & art of workmanship, David Pye
        2.The nature and aesthetics of design, David Pye
        3.Appearance and reality, Stephen Hogbin
        Books on general woodworking
        4.Encyclopedia of furniture making, Earnest Joyce
        5.Audel’s carpenter’s and builders guides, Frank d. Graham and Thomas Emery
        5. Tage Frid teaches woodworking, (ok, I am a R.I.T grad)
        6.Fine art of cabinetmaking, James Krenov
        General furniture and wood info
        7. Understanding wood, Bruce Hoadley
        8. The Fine Points of Furniture, Albert Sack
        9. Woodworkers essential facts, formulas, and shortcuts, Ken Horner (algebra and trig for the woodworker)
        10. The complete manual of wood veneering, Wm. A. Lincoln
        11.Build your own acoustic guitar, Jonathon Kinkead
        12.The art of inlay, Larry Robinson
        13. How to restore your wooden runabout, Don Dananberg
        14.Studio Furniture of the renwick gallery, The smithsonian museum of art
        Downright enjoyable woodworking books, bound to make you chuckle:
        15.Adventures in wood finishing, George Frank
        16.The anarchist’s toolchest, Chris flippin’ Schwarz
        Anyone else got a few to offer?

  15. I’m very happy for all of y’all involved. I have several LAP books and I’m not surprised at all about these two books in particular getting this well deserved recognition. Now I have another Christmas wish list to give my wife.

  19. Chris, John, & the Saintly Lucy –

    Bravo! Credit where credit is long overdue.

  20. Chris,
    The reading of ‘The Anarchist’s Toolchest’ has ignited a burning resentment towards you. If you had written this sooner you could have prevented my slide into tool induced poverty.
    Thanks a lot ol’ buddy.

  22. Congrats! Your baby is growing up nicely. I suspect that there will be other LAP books on the list in the future. The Roubo book comes to mind.

Comments are closed.