“Well,” said Ebenezer, “I’ll tell you seriously. If you intend to have a bench and tools just for play, and think that because the tools look bright and curious you can make things with them at once, without learning, then it will turn out just like it always does with boys in such cases. Just as it did in Bill Booby’s case.”
“How was it with him?” asked John.
“Why, he teased his mother to let him buy a chest of tools. When it came home he looked the tools all over, and was very delighted; but on trying some of them, he found they would not cut, for being new they had not been ground and sharpened.
“So he had to send them all to a carpenters’ to be put in order for work. Then he found he could not work without a bench, and so his mother got a man to come and make his bench.
“When at length he got his bench and everything ready, he determined, for the first thing, to make a martin-house to put on top of a tall pole in the yard. He was going to have it the shape of a church, with a belfry and a spire on the top, and a portico before the door.
“So he got a board and tried to saw it off, of the right length; but he could not make the board hold still. So he said he must have a vice; and his mother gave him some money to buy one, and to pay a carpenter to come down and put it upon his bench.
“Then he tried to saw off his board, but his saw would not go straight; and so the ends of his pieces, when they were sawed, were all askew. When he tried to plane them, the plane would hitch and stick, because it was set too rank. So he knocked out the iron and set it again, and now it would not plane at all….
“When he tried to nail his boards together, first he drove nails without boring, and they split the work….”
“Then he tried to bore holes, but he could not bore straight…”
“Finally, he got in a passion and knocked his martin-house all to pieces with the axe…. He slammed the tools all back into his chest, and went in and told his mother that the man that sold them the tools was a cheat,– for the tools would not work at all. He could not do anything with them.”
“What a silly fellow!” said John.
“But where does Bill Booby live?” he asked after a moment’s pause.
— from “John Gay; Or, Work for Boys: Work for Spring” by Jacob Abbott, 1864
(As though I had an entire page in the Sunday The New York Times)
Christopher Schwarz has written a book charting how he decided to distill his life to some essential elements, offers the reader his experiences reorganizing his workspace, gives a treatise on the tools he finds most essential and outlines how to build a chest that will house and protect the tools of the woodworker. The anarchist’s tool chest in the title is not only a symbol, but one of the actual manifestations, of the personal changes Schwarz made to his life. He does cover a lot of ground in the three sections titled Memory, Reason and Experience.
Anarchy is a gutsy word to put in a book title. Some will associate anarchy with the most extreme forms of anti-government action, and political or social thought. Just what kind of anarchy is Schwarz expressing? A recent AT&T television commercial pitching office software features a very overcrowded and overwhelmed veterinary clinic. The voice-over says, “From anarchy to order…”. I thought it was just a chaotic vet clinic (and who allowed that many appointments at one time ?). On the other hand, to others, anarchy may mean the violent street actions that seem to follow WTO meetings (of course, the evening news usually doesn’t show the protests that are peaceful). Maybe Schwarz’s anarchy fits more closely to the thinking of the English, and later the American, punk and DIY music of the late 1970s. Early punks wanted to strip down their music to the essentials, produce their own music and not get caught up in contracts with big record companies. It was a time of despair for many, especially young people: deep recession, high unemployment and few prospects. So, naturally this was expressed in a new music style. Just the title of “Never Mind the Bollocks,” that catchy album by the Sex Pistols, pretty much summed up punk thinking. Although he may have taken a different path and used different references, I think this is the anarchy that Schwarz is closest to. It is not political, not about chaos or violent action. His anarchy is about making radical changes to his way of thinking and his way of life.
Like any artisan, Schwarz has a very personal relationship with his craft and his tools. As a woodworker he values well designed and well made furniture, and has a strong aversion to poorly made mass production goods. Most readers can relate to cheaply made furniture that, while serviceable and affordable when bought, will not stand the test of time. Writing for and editing Popular Woodworking magazine allowed him to combine his love of writing and woodworking. Producing articles for the magazine gave him opportunities to test new tools, test designs, learn from established craftsmen and interact with icons in the woodworking world. Tools poured in, both power and hand tools, waiting for testing and a review in the magazine. Schwarz was also researching historical records which described the workshops, methods and hand tools used by woodworkers in the past.
In the first part of the book and in later chapters we learn of Schwarz’s first use of hand tools with his father, follow him as he begins to drown in the constant stream of tools arriving at the magazine, to his growing awareness that he has too many tools. In the chapter “A Tale of Three Tables” his frustrating experiences with poorly made dining tables lead him to make his own. Reading Schwarz’s accounts of the numbers of tools arriving for testing at the magazine, I got the sense that he began to question the ethics of his involvement in reviewing the next new and improved tool that might not necessarily be improved, or worthwhile, for the home-based woodworker. He found himself feeding into the tool frenzy. But, his research into the history of woodworking showed him many examples of modestly equipped workshops. He knew he could build furniture and other objects that would be passed down through his family. When using hand tools he savored the strong connection he felt to his craft and to woodworkers of past generations. He eventually looked around and saw he had too much and had had enough.
As an artisan matures tools will be evaluated and discarded. The work surface and the work space will go through many changes until an ideal is found. Using historic examples reaching back to the 17th century, and his own experience, Schwarz devised a list of essential hand tools for his home workshop. He also determined a list of the tools that were ”good to have.” All power tools were not rejected; he kept the machines that aided his woodworking and would have steady use. With fewer tools his workshop needed to be reorganized and he found his shop was easier and more comfortable to work in. Again, using his research and personal preference he designed and built a tool chest to store and protect his essential hand tools. After clearing away the workshop and personal clutter Schwarz wrote this book. His message is not “You must follow my path,” but rather, “Here is what I learned.” He also exhorts his fellow woodworkers to help keep the craft alive, whether using hand tools, power tools or a combination of both.
Along with the tool lists Schwarz presents a few rules for workbenches and
the tool chest. But wait, if this is anarchy how can there be rules and lists? Well, it is his personal anarchy after all and he is allowed to define his beliefs and how he wants to live. Schwarz made radical changes to his work and personal life. He established his freedom from the trap of more is better and quantity over quality. He is also a public figure in the woodworking world and as such will always be asked for his recommendations. So, he gives his recommendations using lists and rules. See, sometimes anarchy does take a very quiet form.
In the Reason section of the book Schwarz goes through the lists of essential and “good to have tools” in great detail, but I will leave the technical reviews to others better versed in woodworking. Although I am not a woodworker I found many of his descriptions and guidelines easy to follow and he provides his readers with a trove of useful hints. There is a profuse number of photographs that I found helpful. I even have some of the tools on the essential list, among them a “girl” hammer and a folding rule.
The Experience section starts with the story of the three dining tables, which is used as a lead in for a further discussion of Schwarz’s personal journey to anarchy. Some readers may never be convinced that this is anarchy, but then again, these days everyone seems to have their own set of facts about what something is or isn’t (and any facts need not apply for the job). He then goes into how to build the Anarchist’s Tool Chest. I was particularly fascinated with the details showing how to construct dovetail joints. Now I can better appreciate and admire the work involved in hand-constructed dovetails. Following the construction of the tool chest was not too difficult, especially with the included photographs. Can I build one? No, but I can certainly do a good evaluation of any furniture I buy in the future. And that is one of the messages of Mr. Schwarz’s book: Support the craftsman by buying quality work. I am also going to take a very hard look at my overstuffed closets.
The better part of the book is written in the manner of a conversation with the reader and includes language that is often very humorous (the afore-mentioned “girl” hammer and “fetching” infill planes come to mind). There is nothing that can’t be heard on nightly television and PG-13 rated films; however, the frequency of some of the humor can be distracting. There are also some opportunities to clean up the text and for better editing. Mr. Schwarz’s abilities as a writer shine in the eloquence of the chapters “Disobey Me” and “After The War.” His description of the dining table he made for his family, like the table, is perfect.
On the whole Mr. Schwarz has written a book that will be enjoyed by woodworkers and other readers interested in the craft. I could see a person new to woodworking using this book as a guide on how to set up and equip a workshop. For the experienced woodworker it will be an enjoyable tour through tool land, and possibly the impetus to examine their own accumulation of tools. And, some will want to read “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” to discover what else Mr. Schwarz has been up to in his research and in his personal workshop.
Finally, after reading “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” I am reminded of the Latin phrase, opus opificem probat: the work proves the craftsman.
OK, so, I get to review this book now with my own font and everything. First of all I had to ask this cute guy I know he’s tall with long brown hair and blue eyes and wears these great jeans what anarchy means. Tools and a chest I got well I don’t really have them but you know what I mean. So I asked Chad, the cute guy, what does anarchy mean. He said he likes it when I ask him stuff because I make him laugh. He is soooo cute when his laughs his teeth are just perfect. Anyway, I said, Chad what does anarchy mean? And he said anarchy. I said yeah, what does it mean, anarchy. No, he says, anarchy. That’s what I said, anarchy. No, its AN-AR-KEY, not AN-AR-CHEE. Are you sure because everybody knows CH is like CH in church. No, Chad said this word is Greek and CH is like K. This book is not Greek I told him because it is written in English ! I hate it when people try to trick me. I still like Chad anyway.
So this book is about a guy named Christopher Schwarz but there is no picture of him in the book so I can’t tell if he is cute or not so I’ll just call him Chris. He is from Arkansas and he likes to build stuff. I didn’t follow everything he says about anarchy except he seemed to be kind of mad and a little sad. I was sorry to read about his father’s house falling down that made me cry and my mascara ran. Chad said I looked like a raccoon. Chris had a lot of stuff but he was sad, then he got rid of a lot of stuff and that made him happy. Huh? I’m glad he is happy because it took him about 500 pages to get there. Of course I didn’t read all 500 pages because why would I? That would take months, so I just skimmed over the tool stuff. I did learn a new word: rasp. I have no idea what that means but I like to say it. Chad told me to stop saying it so much. RASP.
There are a couple of fashion questions I have and one fact that needs to be corrected. Chris mentions his bathing suit area. What area is the area of the bathing suit area? He also mentions a soviet bathing suit. Are they really good and where can I get one? Then there is the crack about tube tops being user friendly. Just what do you mean Chris? And what kind of girls are you hanging out with?
The fact that needs to be corrected is about pooping cupcakes. Not just anyone can poop cupcakes, only unicorns can do that, duh.
This is probably a good book but I wouldn’t know. I did like the the picture of the cat under the table but Chris didn’t write the name of the cat. I also liked that you can have unicorns carved on the side of the tool chest if you want. OMG I chipped a nail I have to go!
— Suzanne Ellison, your faithful indexer, who is a blonde and wanted to amuse herself
“But to prevent their apprentices from doing so (running away),” continued Ebenezer, “the masters generally bind them by an indenture to stay a certain time. An indenture is a contract in writing. The reason it is called an indenture is, because it is, or at least it used to be, made in two parts, one for the master and one for the apprentice, and these two parts are written on the same sheet of paper and then cut apart in a waving line, so that the edges of both papers are indented in exactly the same way, and thus they will fit each other precisely.”
“What good did that do?” asked John.
“I don’t know exactly,” said Ebenezer. “They thought they could put them together again, and if the two parts fitted, that would show that it was all right. But now I am going to indenture you, or else I might expect, that, after you have sawed here three or four times, and I had had all the trouble of teaching you how to do it, you’ll get tired and so not come any more. I’m not willing to begin unless you agree to come seven days – and saw for me one hour each day.”
“And how about planing?” asked John.
“That will be a separate apprenticeship,” said Ebenezer.
“Well,” said John, “I will agree to it.”
“This indenture witnesseth that John Gay binds himself to Ebenezer Greenwood as an apprentice for seven days, an hour each day, not less than three days each week, and that Ebenezer Greenwood promises to teach him the art and mystery of sawing.”
— from “John Gay; Or, Work for Boys: Work for Spring” by Jacob Abbott, 1864
One of the people I have asked to read and edit Matt Bickford’s upcoming book, “Mouldings in Practice,” is toolmaker and woodworker Raney Nelson.
Raney, who makes planes under the name Daed Toolworks, has professional writing experience. But that’s not why I asked him to look at the book. I brought him into the fold because he will always speak his mind, even when it comes to a friend such as Matt Bickford.
After Raney read the book, he… well he tells it better than I can. Read this blog entry from Raney and find out for yourself.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. If you read The Fine Tool Journal, you are going to find out all about Raney and his planes in the next issue.
