Category: Uncategorized

Here are a few images that have been sitting in the “misfits and miscellaneous” drawer of my digital files.

Dog bone lifts are perfectly fine, but why not take a hint from a sailor’s sea chest and liven up the lifts on your tool chest? Fashion the cleat in the form of a lady’s hand, carve symbols on the cleat and add a knotted becket. Quaffing a tot of rum is optional.

Constantin Brancusi returned to using wood for his sculptures in the mid-1910s when he was in his mid-to-late thirties. He salvaged huge oak beams from demolition companies in Paris. I happen to like Brancusi, but I sure some woodworkers look at the photo and think “that could have been used for workbenches!”.

Bruno da Osimo paid tribute to his father, a carpenter, with this xylograph of his father’s shop.

This detail is from a Choir’s desk and is a masterpiece of marquetry work. An imperious tabby cat is framed by columns lined up like soldiers and an archway that recalls the sun. The artist did not forget the cat’s whiskers, a most important detail.

Topsel (or Topsell) used woodblock illustrations from earlier works by Swiss physician Konrad Gesner. The book repeats many fanciful ideas about cats and other animals, but I think the figure of the cat is spot on. And this phrase, “The tongue of a Cat is very attractive and forcible like a file…” is certainly true.

Lynn Ahrens pointed out this folk art cat as one of her favorite things in her New York apartment. The reason: it reminded her of her late cat Alfie. I can sympathize with her as I am currently cat-less. Cat figures are fairly common in folk art collections and they always bring a smile. The head may be too big or the tail inordinately long, but they are all unmistakably cats.

Now for something that is just wrong, wrong, wrong. While researching information on Biedermeier chairs this popped up.

Do you have a problem with your chairs scratching the floor or making too much noise? Put some chair socks on them! You can choose from five patterns and be matchy-matchy with your cat. Is this a portent of the coming apocalypse?

–Suzanne Ellison

“For some, the rejection of their old furniture has been a necessary part of the banishment of hard times.”

— Claudia Kinmonth, “Irish Country Furniture: 1700-1950”

I’m pleased to announce that our first batch of chore coats stitched by Sew Valley are now available for purchase in our online store.

Based on hard-wearing French work garments from the 20th century, our coat is designed and made entirely in the United States. The fabric is a soft cotton drill, a denim material that has a nice woven texture and takes a beating. It’s flexible and breathable as heck – you can wear this in the shop while sawing or planing. Then dust it off, and it’s nice enough to wear to a restaurant with your spouse.

Because this coat was designed by furniture makers, it has details that only a close examination will reveal. The pockets are reinforced to endure years of wear. The buttons are custom made – they’re debossed with “Lost Art Press” (but only you will notice that). And the interior pocket features the only real branding, an embroidered logo featuring a skep.

We offer this jacket only in black, the traditional color worn by joiners, carpenters and cabinetmakers in France. It’s available in sizes from small to 2XL (see our sizing chart for details). If you plan to wear the coat over a T-shirt, order your typical size. If you are going to layer it over other garments, order a size larger than normal.

I typically wear a size large, but I’m wearing a size XL in the photo because I usually wear a T-shirt and collared shirt under it. Also note that we have made the sleeves longer than typical commercial garments because we think most sleeves are skimpy.

These coats were designed by woodworker and clothing designer Tom Bonamici and stitched by Sew Valley in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. We’re proud to work with these trailblazing individuals who insist that good things can and should be made in this country.

Our coat is $185 plus shipping. If you’re used to buying garments made in the third world, that price might seem expensive. So this coat might not be for you. But if you have ever shopped around for an American-made coat that was individually stitched using domestic materials, you know this is a ridiculously low price.

We have a limited number available for immediate shipment. Click here for more details or to purchase one.

— Christopher Schwarz

When I built my first woodworking project as an adult, I didn’t have a single subscription to a woodworking magazine and the only woodworking book I owned was a tattered Graham Blackburn tome, “Illustrated Basic Carpentry,” from 1976. What I knew about joinery, glue and finishes could fit in a teaspoon (with room left over for sugar).

I didn’t know enough to be apprehensive about designing a sitting bench. Or that my joinery choices (dowels) were laughable. Or that I wasn’t supposed to put an oil varnish over a water-base stain. Or that I needed more than one sharpening stone to get a keen edge on my block plane.

Of course, the project came out just fine. I sit on it every day in our kitchen as I work out the groceries I need for dinner. Hundreds of guests have sat on it as our dinner parties inevitably moved to the kitchen. Its finish is well worn by nearly 30 years of use, but it is rock solid.

I could build a nicer bench, but this guy serves as a reminder not to act too smart. Or to make things too technical. And that ignorance – coupled with strong desire – can go a long way.

— Christopher Schwarz