Lost Art Press

Leif Hanson, better known as the Norse Woodsmith, has published a lengthy and thoughtful review of our book “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker.”

Overall, I’d say that Hanson liked the book, though he does take issue with my contribution on some points.

1. Why did I not use hot hide glue to build the three projects from the book? Mea culpa. I should have used hot hide glue. I used liquid hide and (a couple times) a PVA.

2. Why are the hinges on The Schoolbox so darn ugly? They are bucky. I struggled to find ones that looked like the hinges in the isometric drawings in the book. But I couldn’t find any “off the rack.” My gut instinct was to get a blacksmith to make them, but I thought that might put some people off as too precious. I should have followed my gut.

I’m actually building another Schoolbox now and am about to add the hinges. These are better, but they still aren’t perfect. Time to call a blacksmith.

You can read Hanson’s full review on his site here. And while you are there, dig into his archive. He’s one of the leading resources for people who want to make their own saws.

If you haven’t ordered “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker,” you can do that in our store. It was printed in the United States, reflects almost a year of labor and (I think) is a lot of fun to read.

— Christopher Schwarz

P.S. You’re going to get to see an original copy of “The Joiner and Cabinet Maker” on Roy Underhill’s show this fall. He had me on as a guest and we discussed the book and the projects. It was a crazy show, but fun.

SOLD I bought this nice French drawknife from Garrett Wade, used it for about four years and then packed it away when I finally acquired my grandfather’s drawknife. I’d forgotten about this French tool entirely. I don’t need four drawknives.

Despite its unusual looks, it’s a comfortable tool to hold. The steel is very nice (I just resharpened it). The bottom of the blade is a slightly convex curve from right to left. If I remember right, they carried straight, concave and convex models.

In any case, I looked up the receipt and I paid about $60 for this tool in the 1990s.

Price: $35 plus domestic shipping.

About Tool Sales on My Blog Please read this if you are interested in buying a tool. Why am I selling these tools? Read this entry before you freak out. There is no “master list” of tools that I can send you. I am working through several piles of tools and will list them when I can.

Want to see only the tools that haven’t sold? Easy. I’ve created a category for that on this blog. Click here and bookmark that page. When you visit that link, you’ll see only the tools that haven’t been sold.

While you can ask me all the questions you like about the tool, the first person to send me an e-mail that says: “I’ll take it,” gets the tool. Simple. To buy a tool, please send me an e-mail at christopher.schwarz@fuse.net.

Payment: I can accept PayPal or a personal check. As soon as the funds arrive, I’ll ship the tool using USPS. If you want insurance, let me know. I’m afraid I can only ship tools in the United States. Shipping internationally is very time-consuming and paperwork-heavy. My apologies in advance on this point.

If you don’t like the tool when you get it, I’ll be happy to refund your money if you return the tool. But postage is on you.

— Christopher Schwarz

SOLD: This No. 40 scrub plane was purchased by my employer sometime in the mid-1990s. They they disposed of it during a surplus equipment sale. I snagged it.

This plane is in very good shape — I’ve used it quite a bit. What is unusual about the tool compared to current Lie-Nielsen tools is the knob and tote. The finish is a thicker film finish used by the Maine company at the time.

Other than that, it’s a Lie-Nielsen with some good miles on it.

Price: $120 plus domestic shipping.

About Tool Sales on My Blog
Please read this if you are interested in buying a tool. Why am I selling these tools? Read this entry before you freak out. There is no “master list” of tools that I can send you. I am working through several piles of tools and will list them when I can.

Want to see only the tools that haven’t sold? Easy. I’ve created a category for that on this blog. Click here and bookmark that page. When you visit that link, you’ll see only the tools that haven’t been sold.

While you can ask me all the questions you like about the tool, the first person to send me an e-mail that says: “I’ll take it,” gets the tool. Simple. To buy a tool, please send me an e-mail at christopher.schwarz@fuse.net.

Payment: I can accept PayPal or a personal check. As soon as the funds arrive, I’ll ship the tool using USPS. If you want insurance, let me know. I’m afraid I can only ship tools in the United States. Shipping internationally is very time-consuming and paperwork-heavy. My apologies in advance on this point.

If you don’t like the tool when you get it, I’ll be happy to refund your money if you return the tool. But postage is on you.

— Christopher Schwarz

SOLD: While not a woodworking tool, this is something that should appeal to the woodworking history nerds out there like myself. This is an 1831 edition of Peter Nicholson’s “Mechanic’s Companion,” one of the most significant early English-language books on woodworking.

Somehow, through the grace of good Googling, I have ended up with two copies. Hence, I’m selling this one.

It’s in fair shape. Leather-bound. Some foxing to the pages. A bit of water damage to the top of some pages starting in the Bricklaying section. No damage to the sections on joinery or carpentry. All the plates are present as far as I can tell.

I’ve seen copies like this go for more than $400.

Price: $225 plus domestic shipping.

About Tool Sales on My Blog
Please read this if you are interested in buying a tool. Why am I selling these tools? Read this entry before you freak out. There is no “master list” of tools that I can send you. I am working through several piles of tools and will list them when I can.

Want to see only the tools that haven’t sold? Easy. I’ve created a category for that on this blog. Click here and bookmark that page. When you visit that link, you’ll see only the tools that haven’t been sold.

While you can ask me all the questions you like about the tool, the first person to send me an e-mail that says: “I’ll take it,” gets the tool. Simple. To buy a tool, please send me an e-mail at christopher.schwarz@fuse.net.

Payment: I can accept PayPal or a personal check. As soon as the funds arrive, I’ll ship the tool using USPS. If you want insurance, let me know. I’m afraid I can only ship tools in the United States. Shipping internationally is very time-consuming and paperwork-heavy. My apologies in advance on this point.

If you don’t like the tool when you get it, I’ll be happy to refund your money if you return the tool. But postage is on you.

— Christopher Schwarz

SOLD: This is a fine tool. I also have 20 other knives, so I need to let (at least) one go.

This Veritas Striking Knife was a domestic product when I bought it. Then Lee Valley discontinued it and brought it back as an imported product without the Veritas name.

This knife has seen many many years of work at the bench. The bead at the neck has a nick (which I filed flush and neat). I refinished the handle to remove a thick finish. The knife is sharp, polished and ready to use.

Price: $15 plus domestic shipping

About Tool Sales on My Blog
Please read this if you are interested in buying a tool. Why am I selling these tools? Read this entry before you freak out. There is no “master list” of tools that I can send you. I am working through several piles of tools and will list them when I can.

Want to see only the tools that haven’t sold? Easy. I’ve created a category for that on this blog. Click here and bookmark that page. When you visit that link, you’ll see only the tools that haven’t been sold.

While you can ask me all the questions you like about the tool, the first person to send me an e-mail that says: “I’ll take it,” gets the tool. Simple. To buy a tool, please send me an e-mail at christopher.schwarz@fuse.net.

Payment: I can accept PayPal or a personal check. As soon as the funds arrive, I’ll ship the tool using USPS. If you want insurance, let me know. I’m afraid I can only ship tools in the United States. Shipping internationally is very time-consuming and paperwork-heavy. My apologies in advance on this point.

If you don’t like the tool when you get it, I’ll be happy to refund your money if you return the tool. But postage is on you.

— Christopher Schwarz