As we’ve been announcing the Issue Seven table of contents over the past two weeks, Joshua and I have been juggling the many logistical details that lead up to each issue’s release – both from an editorial standpoint (chasing down image permissions, formatting endnotes) and from a practical one (how many shipping labels do we need again?). And, of course, this means it’s time to announce the next M&T Packing Party! With every issue so far, we’ve had friends come in from far and wide to help us wrap each magazine in brown paper, affix a wax-sealed trade card, and place it in a rigid mailer with a few pine plane shavings. We’ve loved adding this special touch, and the fun...
This is last installment in a blog series which reveals the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seven. Please note that the subscription window which includes Issue Seven is open now until Sep 24th. A NEW CHANGE: WRAPPING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY From now on, we will be wrapping magazines (brown paper, wax-sealed trade card, and pine shaving) for subscriptions only, not individually purchased copies of the magazine. This is an effort to simplify things a bit around here. Individual copies can be ordered after the subscriptions ship on September 30th, but if you really do love that wax seal, brown paper, and pine wood shaving, be sure to get a subscription now. If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to us at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com....
“What do a prehistoric flint spearpoint, a Windsor chair, and a carved wooden spoon have in common?” begins author George Walker. What follows is a fascinating, winsome defense of what Walker calls the “Axioms of Craft,”: guiding principles that have been universally accepted by artisans from time immemorial. Tracing the thread back 12,000 years to the Clovis culture, following it through Ancient Greece and into the Victorian Era, Walker makes his case for the immutability of these three guiding principles: “Firmitas, strength and durability; comoditas, function; and venustas, beauty.” All craftsmanship had to contain these values in complementary measure, he argues, or it was considered lacking and mediocre.
What constitutes a “good day’s work” for a hand-tool craftsman? Judging by historical accounts, quite an impressive amount. Different period references cited a number of tasks that were typically accomplished in a day, but author and professional joiner Richard Arnold looks to the classic memoir of Walter Rose for guidance. In his 1937 book, The Village Carpenter, Rose notes that “the making of a simple four-panel inside door was considered a good day’s work.”
Have you read David Pye’s classic book, The Nature and Art of Workmanship? If so, you’re in the minority among those woodworkers who express a strong opinion of this seminal work. Many have heard of Pye’s concept of “Workmanship of Risk,” and often hold marked views of the concept (either positive and negative) based on secondhand opinions rather than personal reflection on his actual arguments. Pye’s philosophical explorations into the nature of craft seem even more relevant today than they did when the book was first published over 50 years ago, as tremendous advancements in woodworking tool technology (CNC machines, Bluetooth-equipped saws) have found their way into many hobbyists’ shops.
“I am willing to devote a good many hours to making one wooden bucket. The work is challenging – its own fulfillment and reward. Through the fusion of myself and the wood, an object is born that is useful and beautiful – a joy to make, to see, and to use.” - Drew Langsner For Issue Seven’s Book Recommendation, we reached out to Sam DeSocio, a homesteader living in upstate New York, for his thoughts on this classic. From time to time, a book is published that invites the reader to not only consider new projects that can be made, but a whole new way of living life. Drew Langsner’s Country Woodcraft exists in that vein – far more than being...
This is part of a blog series which reveals the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seven. As always, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is come. Please note that the subscription window which includes Issue Seven is open now until Sep 24th. A NEW CHANGE: WRAPPING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY From now on, we will be wrapping magazines (brown paper, wax-sealed trade card, and pine shaving) for subscriptions only, not individually purchased copiesof the magazine. This is an effort to simplify things a bit around here. Individual copies can be ordered after the subscriptions ship on September 30th, but if you really do love that wax seal, brown paper, and pine wood shaving, be...
This is part of a blog series which reveals the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seven. As always, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is come. Please note that the subscription window which includes Issue Seven is open now until Sep 24th. A NEW CHANGE: WRAPPING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY From now on, we will be wrapping magazines (brown paper, wax-sealed trade card, and pine shaving) for subscriptions only, not individually purchased copiesof the magazine. This is an effort to simplify things a bit around here. Individual copies can be ordered after the subscriptions ship on September 30th, but if you really do love that wax seal, brown paper, and pine wood shaving, be...
This is part of a blog series which reveals the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seven. As always, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is come. Please note that the subscription window which includes Issue Seven is open now until Sep 24th. A NEW CHANGE: WRAPPING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY From now on, we will be wrapping magazines (brown paper, wax-sealed trade card, and pine shaving) for subscriptions only, not individually purchased copiesof the magazine. This is an effort to simplify things a bit around here. Individual copies can be ordered after the subscriptions ship on September 30th, but if you really do love that wax seal, brown paper, and pine wood shaving, be...
This is part of a blog series which reveals the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seven. As always, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is come. Please note that the subscription window which includes Issue Seven is open now until Sep 24th. A NEW CHANGE: WRAPPING FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS ONLY From now on, we will be wrapping magazines (brown paper, wax-sealed trade card, and pine shaving) for subscriptions only, not individually purchased copiesof the magazine. This is an effort to simplify things a bit around here. Individual copies can be ordered after the subscriptions ship on September 30th, but if you really do love that wax seal, brown paper, and pine wood shaving,...
