We have a good-sized batch of Crucible Lump Hammers in stock and ready to ship. The hammers are $85 plus shipping, and (we think) they will become one of your favorite striking tools.
These hammers are 100 percent made in the United States – from the hardened steel to the hickory handle to the oak wedge to the hide glue that holds it all together. This batch was machined in Indiana and finished in Covington, Ky.
— Christopher Schwarz
Today we took Christian Becksvoort to the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill to see some of the buildings and – we hoped – some of the furniture. For more than a year, the meeting house and Centre Family Dwelling have been under construction. And the majority of the village’s furniture collection has been in storage.
Recently we heard they were opening the Centre Family Dwelling for tours and we drove to the central Kentucky village to see whatever we could.
After a visit to the newly restored meeting house and a substantial Kentucky lunch, we arrived for a tour of the Centre Family Dwelling. Thanks to the bad weather (snow, spitty snow and rain) the only people on the tour were Chris, Megan Fitzpatrick, two other women and me.
When we walked in, it was like seeing the building when it was new in 1834. You could smell the fresh plaster and paint. The floors were bare and unfinished. The rooms were empty. And it was just us and 21,000 square feet of building.
The $5.1 million restoration added geothermal HVAC to the building, new lighting (sorry, but I’m not a fan of it) and fresh paint and repairs.
I thought I’d be disappointed to see the building without all the furniture. I’ve visited Pleasant Hill about 20 times since 1993, and I think of many of the rooms and furniture pieces there as familiar friends. But the empty building was a bit of a revelation. And you won’t be able to see it like this for long.
Starting later this month, you’ll be able to tour the building without a guide. And there won’t be exhibits or objects displayed in the building until November 2019 (or later). So if you want to see the building in its purest form, now is the time.
— Christopher Schwarz
The Lost Art Press storefront is open today from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. And at 7 p.m. we are throwing a party for Christian Becksvoort to celebrate his new book “Shaker Inspiration.”
The event is free. We will have drinks and snacks. And Chris will give a presentation of his work, sign books and shake hands. Come visit a living woodworking legend in one of his few visits to the Midwest.
The storefront is at 837 Willard St., Covington, Ky 41011. We have our complete line of books for sale, plus some blemished books at 50 percent off. Come see Brendan working on his Chester Cornett rocker. Megan’s working on a Dutch tool chest and I’m working on two Welsh stick chairs.
— Christopher Schwarz
This week we received a beautiful batch of photos for Christopher Williams’s upcoming book “The Life & Work of John Brown.” When I reviewed the final photo, my heart skipped a beat or two.
It’s a picture of Chris’s chairs headed up by the last chair John Brown reportedly made in 2002
This photo shows the whole history of the relationship between Chris and John Brown, in wood, form and finish. When you read the book, you’ll understand the entire tale. But until then, I hope you like this photo, which is by Heather Birnie.
— Christopher Schwarz
“I’ve heard that all my life, a chairmaker never has a thing to set on.”
— Chester Cornett, as quoted in “Craftsman of the Cumberlands” (University of Kentucky Press) by Michael Owen Jones