Apologies for all the commercial blogs. We are trying to get all our holiday stuff into the store early because of delays with the mail system. Order soon to avoid disappointment. Today I have two quick things to report.
We finally have our brown moleskin vests in stock. These are identical to our green ones except for the color. These are handmade in Cincinnati using moleskin from Great Britain. Custom buttons. Durable stitching. My vest has become one of my favorite objects.
The only additional thing I can say about them is that I wouldn’t delay. These should sell quickly. (Also, we still have a few of the green ones in stock in XL and XXL, which you will see in the dropdown menu for “color.”)
Second item: The printer is finishing up work on Drew Langsner’s “Country Woodcraft: Then & Now” and it will be done soon. As a result, this is your last chance to order it and receive a free pdf of the book at checkout. After midnight on Thursday (Nov. 5), buying the book with the pdf will cost $48.75 (instead of $39).
We don’t know when the pre-publication orders will ship from the warehouse. Probably within two weeks.
We are thrilled to be publishing this updated and expanded edition of such an important woodworking book. “Country Woodcraft” inspired a generation of woodworkers to make spoons, bowls and other handy home implements. And we hope that the new version will inspire another generation.
— Christopher Schwarz
This is a predicament. I’ve run out of moleskin jokes.
Sad trombone
So these are “Made in the USA from Global Materials”?
Speaking of holiday gifts, can we expect to see updated days of gift guides this year? I always enjoy those blogs(for myself)
The vest looks great and I’d love to buy one for myself, but I’m baffled as to how I’d have it tailored for a woman. As it is, I think it’d hang awkwardly from my bust and become unwieldy as it flapped around my waist, but I’m concerned that taking it in at the waist would place the lower pockets uncomfortably close to the underarm. I suppose it might be possible to take off the pockets entirely, put in some darts and side shaping, and then put the pockets back on.
In terms of material, pockets, and aesthetic it looks ideal, but I don’t see myself making it work. However, if there’s anybody out there who’s successfully altered this to accommodate a bust, I’d welcome the news.
I’m afraid you are correct. Megan has taken a close look at the vest/waistcoat and thinks it would be difficult to alter for women. When she puts it on it looks like a box. Not good. I wish we could offer more versions of this vest, but it’s a tiny market (maybe 100 units) and already a razor thin margin. Apologies.
Understandable. Well, if by some chance your designer ever releases a woman’s version of this pattern, I’ll be first in line to buy it and have one made up for myself.
Any thoughts on open-sourcing the patterns for the vests and chore coats?
The patterns belong to the designer. They aren’t mine to give away, and he’s not keen on giving them away. Sorry.
“Oh, we have both kinds: country and vest!”
Winner!
Are there any plans to do another run of the moss green vests?
I thought the moles came from across the pond where bonnets and boots are found on cars rather than at the mall.
I love my green vest. My wife does too. I’m hoping she’ll buy me the brown one for Turkey Bird Day.
FYI, I have machine washed mine a couple times by itself in cold water on a gentle cycle and then let it air dry hung on a chair. So far I’ve noticed no ill effects save the loss of its patina of workshop odors and baby… uh…. “juice.”
I ordered Country Woodcraft T&N yesterday, got the pdf immediately and began reading it last night (even though trying to read books on pdf are a form of masochism). I’ve already learned more about tools for green woodworking, sharpening and finishing with oils than I ever gleaned from dozens of sources. Fantastic resource. Kudos to Chris for the invaluable “Now” update. Can’t wait to receive the hard copy. One problem: all this reading is depriving me of sleep and keeping me out of the shop, and costly because I just ordered citrus terp and Tung oil from Real Milk Paint via Amazon.
Looking forward to reading this! I wanted to say thank you for your response to my question to the Herculaneum bench. It made perfect sense, Sunday or not.
The vest looks nice
How well does the fabric repel chips and dust as I do a lot of turning?
BTW, would be a good look to meet and greet the public if shows and craft fairs ever come back.
It’s a very tight cotton weave. While it’s not going to deflect chips like wearing a garbage bag, it does a good job and releases the chips with a quick swipe.