One of the interesting aspects of the book “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” is how many of the readers are active members of the military, government officials or managers in huge internet corporations.
I have lost count of the number of e-mails that begin like this: “I would like to order this book, but I don’t think it can be mailed to me on base, and I can’t have it show up on my credit card.”
We are happy to oblige and always ship our books in a plain brown wrapper.
This last week I’ve been teaching a class in building The Anarchist’s Toolchest at The Woodworker’s Club in Rockville, Md. The club is an interesting place – you don’t see many clubs like this except on the East or West coasts of the United States or in Europe.
Essentially, The Woodworker’s Club is, first of all, a place where you can pay a monthly fee to use a fully equipped and impeccably maintained workshop. There are lots of workbenches and an impressively equipped machine shop (a 16” SCMI joiner with a Shelix head?).
There is a lot of staff support, and the Maryland club also has an entire Woodcraft store up front.
As we were building a dozen tool chests this week, I got to watch the club’s members work among us, both in the bench rooms and in the machine room. I have to say this: Without a doubt, I have never seen a more diverse group of woodworkers. There was a healthy mix of men and women of all ages, races and ethnicities, working away at their personal projects.
It was very cool and quite heartening. If you live in the D.C. area and cannot set up shop in your apartment or condo, stop by the club and talk to Chris, Matt or Amy. They will be happy to help you get started in the craft without having to invest a year of your salary in machines alone.
During this class, I lost track of how many of the students were connected to the military or the government. And after a Thursday-night open house at the club, I was overwhelmed by the response of people to the anti-establishment ideas I write.
So now I think it’s a good idea if I sneak out of town before anyone notices what I’ve been teaching.
Yeah, we all built rectangular boxes this week, but what is radical is what goes inside.
— Christopher Schwarz
Hey Chris,
Thanks for doing your best to promote the (allagrical) disestablishmentarianism*
of the Anarchist Toolchest, where it is needed most.
*I’ve always wanted to used that word in some context… Thanks again. 😉
Tom
(Maybe someday, I’ll be able to uses antidisestablishmentarianism)
agh! allegoriacal
Sorry
T
Okay, I’m done. Sometimes I can spell
You are always welcome in the Old Line State. Maybe next time you’ll find out what all the hubbub is about with pit beef sandwiches.
I never thought about the title being a problem for some people to order but now that you pointed it out, I can see it raising more than a few red flags.
To all those in the military who have served or are currently serving, Thank you!
Thanks again for a great class, Chris!
Just finished the book and these photo’s made it look like I could do this !
And I thought I saved money when you stopped writing tool reviews for the mag.
Now I have a new [smaller] list from the book
The ‘powers that be’ have doubtless been aware of the title of the book for some time now.
That fact will not prevent some from being hesitant to have it appear on their ‘record’ somewhere, but doubtless it does not raise the ‘red flags’ that some would assume.
Mark Singleton
Santa Maria, Ca
PS: If you ordered “The Anarchist’s Cookbook” by mistake however, you might have a problem!!
“but what is radical is what goes inside”
Hand tools, correct? 🙂