We are pleased to announce that we are bringing “The Workbench Book” by Scott Landis back into print with a beautiful hardcover edition that is produced entirely in the United States with 100-percent post-consumer recycled paper.
The book is at our printing plant in Tennessee and is scheduled to ship out in January 2021. If you place an order before then, you will receive a free pdf of the book at checkout.
“The Workbench Book” was first published in 1987 by The Taunton Press and remains the most complete book on the most important tool in the woodworker’s shop. Using hundreds of photos, full-color illustrations and historical images, Landis traces the history of the workbench from its beginnings to the development of the portable Workmate.
Along the way, Landis works with craftsmen such as Frank Klausz and Ian Kirby to demonstrate how to build some of the most important historical bench forms, including a Shaker workbench, a European cabinetmaker’s bench and an English bench common in 20th century workshops.
Landis’ book was my personal introduction to the world of workbenches. And I wrote a new foreword for this edition that tells the story.
About this Edition
Recent editions of “The Workbench Book” were printed overseas and in softcover. A few years ago, the book went out of print, and the book’s rights reverted back to Landis. After a conversation with Robin Lee at Lee Valley Tools, Landis and I negotiated a new publishing agreement to bring the book back into print in a nice hardbound edition on recycled paper with a dust jacket – all produced in the United States. (And, of course, Landis will receive royalties like all Lost Art Press authors.)
The book was a technical challenge for us and the printer. Like many books that go out of print, the original electronic files were lost. What we did have was a file that had been reconstructed from the four film separations during an earlier print job.
I’ll spare you the nerdy stuff, but we had to jump through a lot of hoops to get this book looking good on press. To create the new foreword, we also had to do some 1980s archaeology to recreate the electronic fonts for a seamless package.
We’re glad to do it. “The Workbench Book” is one of the books that deserves to be in print for future generations of woodworkers. And in a nice edition that will survive decades of hard use.
“The Workbench Book” is 248 pages and printed on 80# coated paper that is 100-percent post-consumer recycled stock. The book’s signatures are sewn and reinforced with a fiber tape for durability. The casebound book has heavy cloth-covered boards and is wrapped by a 100# dustjacket that is coated with a matte laminate to increase its durability.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. We are now at work to bring the companion “The Workshop Book” by Scott Landis back in print as well.
I am consistently blown away by your integrity and your humility, Christopher. This is awesome
I read. I think in the Anarchists Workbench, a comment about this being the only good workbench book available when Chris was getting started. Didn’t Sam Allen’s book come out 2 years before this One? Just saying…
I stand by my original statement.
That was one of my favorite books. I’m glad you guys had the opportunity to bring it back.
Now please talk to John Walter about his Stanley Tools book. Haha
This is a major coup for LAP, and a huge win for woodworkers. Nice job.
This is a great book, with many inspiring images. I’m glad that it will now be printed by my favorite publisher. Bravo!
Excellent news and book ordered! I’m glad, too, that I never got around to buying one of those recentish, less well-produced editions …
Mattias
Curious if this complements the AWB or contrasts in any noteworthy ways? Looks to be a good companion to your PopWood Workbenches book, but maybe this book is its own animal.
I could spend the rest of my life just reading workbench books and building all the various types of workbenches that i have always wanted to try, and never get any “actual” woodworking done. And that would be fine with me(but my wife would be pretty mad)
Mr. Schwarz and his associates at the Lost Art Press are doing immensely valuable work by creating, publishing and supplying high quality woodworking books. Disseminating these repositories of knowledge around the world is like leaving treasure chests for future generations of woodworkers. If they are found alongside a tool chest filled with good, basic hand tools a seed is truly sown. For there will always be that one child, the one that is content to play by himself, inventing games or intently investigating some interesting bit of nature. One such child in a thousand is more than enough for our craft to endure and even flourish again.
Good job Chris. An amazing book. I like how Scott Landis included Shaker benches and the emmert.
Also liked “The Toolbox Book” by Landis. Lots of great ideas and always interesting to see what others have done.
“The Toolbox Book” was written by Jim Tolpin…
And then Tolpin’s “Toolbox Box”?
Oops, sorry – didn’t see Cawthorne’s post.
Woodworking writers are like bluegrass musicians—the good ones are each other’s biggest fans. Now all you need is a jam festival, where you can take turns sawing and planing to “Franklin’s Tower.”
Roll away the shavings …
Chris,
This book look somewhat familiar to me so I searched my library of woodworking books and lo and behold I found an original 2nd printing hard bound of The Workbench Book. It appears that I bought the book used for $9 in prime condition.
I thumbed through it and then recalled that It was the inspiration for me to build a Planing Bench from an old glue-lam beam in 2002 or so which I still have and serves me well.
That being said, I am partial to Lost Art Press published books so I will be placing an order for your book with my current copy finding its way to my young Woodworking Friend.
I’m further looking forward to Landis’s The Workshop Book.
Godspeed
This is a win for everyone. Thank you b
And The Workshop Book too! Excellent!
This is awesome news and finely demonstrates action by principle and mission. Maybe you should change your company name to… oh wait!
Would you consider offering series books like yours as a bundle purchase? I know that might be pricey but to readers like me that will start on book one of a series and not stop till I be read the last page of the last book would be a dream come true
I have a first edition, first printing. I have been consistently amazed at the number of folks who have never heard of this outstanding work, the internet seems to have forgotten the 1980’s – 1990’s… . Every book on the subject have been derivative of of this classic that mentioned Roubo long ago.
Great job bringing this back and so glad it will get the respect it is due…
I second talking to John Walter and publishing the Stanley Tool Book!!