This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Eighteen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
The subscription window that includes Issue Eighteen is open now.
To get Issue Eighteen when it ships in early April, you can sign up for a subscription here.
If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Eighteen is coming your way soon!
___________________________________
Issue Eighteen T.O.C. – Handyman’s Book excerpt
Old books are often among the best sources of information out there – especially when discussing topics of pre-industrial craft. Rather than writing from a perspective of “looking back” or trying to forensically piece together how things were done, period writers were simply recording what they saw or practiced themselves. Such immediacy and experiential knowledge carries an authority to it.
In Issue Eighteen, we are republishing an excerpt of one such work – a 1903 volume called The Handyman’s Book. Touted in the preface as “a practical work on practical handicraft in wood… published in the confident belief that it is by far the most exhaustive book on the subject hitherto produced,” the book continues to stand head and shoulders above most any practical guide to woodworking. In fact, we are so impressed that M&T is going to offer it as a high-quality reprinted edition later this year.
This excerpt covers the use and maintenance of handsaws: how to straighten a bent saw, how to set sawteeth, filing, jointing, and proper body positioning when sawing. It is remarkably thorough and insightful, with many helpful illustrations. Some of the information here we have found nowhere else – a testament to the enduring value of vintage print.
Subscribe now to reserve your copy of Issue Eighteen.