Category: Uncategorized

Don’t dally! We’re offering free shipping on EVERYTHING only through the end of October. Want a set of five Lost Art Press shop pencils? Only $13 for those and they ship free. So does a $25 jar of Soft Wax 2.0. And a $20 signed copy of “Sharpen This.” And a $24 Lost Art Press ball cap. In other words, no matter how little (or how much) you purchase, we’ll ship it to you, free. But only through the end of this month.

Visit the Lost Art Press online store here.

Nick Offerman learned as a child to work with his hands, to respect tools and to fix things in his hometown of Minooka, Illinois. “Sometimes, they’d let me nail a shingle,” he joked during his book reading last Saturday at the Berry Center. (Or maybe he wasn’t joking – but I suspect he was allowed to do more than just swing a hammer.)

In his latest book, “Little Woodchucks,” written with former Offerman Woodshop manager Lee Buchanan, he expounds on the ethos of make, don’t buy, and shows how entertaining it is to get in the shop and build toys that can then be used to irritate family members (a “slapstick” and wood whistle, for example). Or a wooden kite than you can then go fly. Or a meat locker in which to share sausages, cheese and/or cauliflower with neighbors (also useful as a Little Free Library).

“Little Woodchucks” helps parents set up a safe and kid-friendly shop, then presents 12 projects in increasing order of difficulty to help build skills as kids (and their adult helpers) make these fun creations.

As befits a book ostensibly for children, “Little Woodchucks” is filled with colorful images and easy-to-follow instructions. At the start of each project is an image of the tools and supplies needed for each – along with a joke or two that will delight kids and adults alike. That humor pervades the text as well, with Offerman’s throughline of wry anti-capitalism in support of “build, don’t buy,” and sustainability. As our copy editor, Kara Gebhart Uhl, noted, the book speaks to children, but it doesn’t talk down to them, making it enjoyable for the whole family.

And that family connection, that community fun, is among the overriding lessons of “Little Woodchucks.” Offerman writes in his introduction:

It’s like making a pie with your parents – that pie is going to be better and fresher than anything you could ever get at one of those chain restaurants. You and your folks are going to know every ingredient that went into that pie. If you’re lucky, you might know the chicken that laid the eggs and the other chickens that produced the butter, and if you do, I’d very much like to meet your dairy chickens. You might know the farmer who grew the grain that got turned into the flour. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Maybe you know another Woodchuck friend who grows the blueberries. That sounds like a wonderful community to me.

Sounds pretty good to me, too.

If you have kids in your life who could benefit from making sawdust and fun instead of staring at a screen, this book is for you. If you’re an adult who like to giggle, this book is for you. And if both apply, well, rush out now and pick up a copy.

“Little Woodchucks” by Nick Offerman with Lee Buchanan (Dutton), is available in bookstores now – likely including your local, independent bookstore.

– Fitz

It is with grief that I report Kelly Mehler died early Sunday morning, Oct. 5, 2025. As you might know, he’d been fighting cancer for some time, but I heard from him recently when he told me he was feeling great and doing well, and working on a tool chest in his shop. So this was shocking news.

Many people knew Kelly through his eponymous school in Berea, Ky., and through his bestselling “The Table Saw Book,” magazine articles and woodworking classes and conferences.

Kelly was a great friend to Chris and me, and I think to just about everyone else who ever met him. Kelly was one of my earliest teachers, and later championed me when I started teaching. He was one of the first people to ask Chris to teach, years before (and Chris will have more to say later).

Kelly is one of the most generous and funny men I’ve ever had the honor of knowing; I’m so glad I was able to call him my friend, and so very sad that he is gone.

At the request of his family, we’re posting Kelly’s memorial service information below. All are welcome.

– Fitz

The 2025 London International Woodworking Festival (IWF) is fast approaching! Classes (for which you can still register) run Oct. 20-23, then the marketplace is open to all on Friday, Oct. 24 from noon-6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

While Chris and I won’t be there this year due to teaching elsewhere, we’ve already blocked off our calendars for 2026. I quite like teaching while looking out over the Thames. And I always enjoy a visit to see Hodge the Cat. And toffee.

Lost Art Press books and many of our Crucible tools will be there though! Classic Hand Tools, which carries pretty much our full line, will be in the marketplace, as will folks from Lie-Nielsen, Veritas, Philly Planes, Windsor Workshops, Oscar Rush, Nigel Melfi, Richard Arnold and more! “From immersive courses and expert-led workshops to inspiring talks and a bustling marketplace, the Festival is a celebration of woodworking skill, tradition, and community.” You can check out the full lineup and get more info on the London IWF website.

And we’ll see you there in 2026 – sorry to miss this year.

– Fitz