This week I’ve signed off on a new press run of our four-volume set of “The Woodworker: The Charles H. Hayward Years.” We ran out of stock last year, and reprinting the books became prohibitively expensive (thanks, inflation!). I didn’t want to charge people more than $200 for these foundational texts on handwork.
So we worked with our printer to come out with a new four-volume set at an affordable price. What did we change? Only the cover. These books will be softcover instead of hardcover. The text will be printed on the same #60 paper. The pages will still be gathered into signatures and sewn for durability. The book will still be printed on offset printing presses in Michigan – not some digital perfect-bound piece of impermanence.
The four books will be wrapped in #100 Mohawk Carnival, a gorgeous American-made paper, for the covers. And we’re going to have a special introductory offer. Here’s how the pricing will work:
Vol. I: Tools: $40
Vol. II: Techniques: $38
Vol. III: Joinery: $29
Vol. IV: Workshops & Furniture: $32
The set of four should retail for $139. But for the first 30 days, you can buy the full set for $100 with free shipping.
These books make me hyperbole. We spent eight years culling these articles from hundreds of issues of the now-defunct magazine The Woodworker. These books cover all aspects of handwork, from getting started to making complex mouldings and curved barred-light doors. By hand.
These books are densely packed with thousands of hand drawings by Hayward. The four books comprise more than 1,500 pages of information. All organized so you can find it (here’s a list of the entries). I consider these books to be the backbone of my handwork library. When I have a question about a technique or a tool, these books are the first place I look.
We hope to have all four volumes in stock by the end of February. Save your pennies. These books are worth it.
— Christopher Schwarz
100 bucks for all four? You’re insane. You’ll be wandering Covington wearing an old pickle barrel on suspenders.
Seriously, anyone who doesn’t already own these books would be nuts not to buy them at that price. Sell some blood. Rob a gas station for Hayward money. Those books are just that good. After the zombie apocalypse they will help rebuild our civilization.
“You’ll be wandering Covington wearing an old pickle barrel on suspenders.”
Yes, but think about how well that pickle barrel will be constructed!
I agree. These books are a window to a more-skilled world. Every time I open the books (and I know them backward and forward), I find something new.
Did you ever thought about republishing David Charlesworth books, I had them and they were great, unfortunately now they rest in Dave’s Jones Locker with my boat.
We talked to David about it before his death. He was very interested, but his publisher (which owns the rights in toto) was not. We tried help him get the rights back, but it was to no avail.
Most publishing problems are caused by %$#&-hole publishers.
How apropo. Found a copy of vol 3 and 4 for 50 each yesterday and ordered them. Lol, now I have buyers remorse seeing this! At least now I can stop my search for the first 2 volumes! Hooray!
Dude. When do you sleep??
lmao
Hear, hear! I was just looking up his articles on mortise and tenon joints this afternoon and learned something new. Which is no surprise as I’m quite the neophyte.
What would shipping cost EU citizens if they wanted to take advantage if the $100 offer since I realize you can’t offer free shipping to us?
I’m afraid we don’t ship outside the US. We have distributors all over the world who will likely carry the titles.
Or you can use a re-shipping service if you prefer.
Another title I can’t go without now that I know about it.
Do you ship to Germany? Can’t wait till they show up in a year or two at the local distributor.
What’s so funny?
My head hurts. I picked up a couple of those last volumes last year and was quietly, patiently waiting for a restock. These new ones will be wonderful, but you’ve broken my anal retentive bone, or my OCD bone or something. Either way, I’m ecstatic to be able to complete the collection.
Hi Chris.
Another opus magnum accomplishment for your journalistic career.
.can’t wait to have these as part of my library…
Once again, thank you so much…
Mike D. GNHW