I've seen a number of people ask recently what books they should look into if they're interested in woodworking, particularly without power tools. I realized I'd never actually done a post on that, so here it is.
This is NOT a list of the best hand tool books out there. I haven't read them all, and I may be missing something fantastic. This is a list of some books I've found helpful, and some of why I thought they were worth recommending. So, in no particular order:
- The Anarchist's Toolchest, by Christopher Schwarz. This is an excellent book on theory and history, with excellent explanations of all the tools in an idealized English toolchest, and their use. The toolchest is there, with full instructions, but isn't a great first project. The rest of the trilogy, The Anarchist's Design Book and The Anarchist's Workbench, are also fantastic, and arguably more useful for a real beginner.
- Working Wood 1 & 2, by Paul Sellers. This is a much better "getting started" book than the Anarchist trilogy. It has a good section on tools, a number of starting projects with good explanation and photos, and an appendix on sharpening and tool care. If I had to recommend just one book, it probably would end up being this one.
- The New Traditional Woodworker, by Jim Tolpin. I've already reviewed this, here. Since you already have that link, I'll just say it's a good book, and worth your time.
- The Essential Woodworker, by Robert Wearing. This hasn't been one of my favorites, since I found the other three first. That said, it's good enough that I'll recommend it. It's now in print through Lost Art Press, and worth the purchase price. It starts out very basic, then walks through building a few things, ranging from simple to complex.
- The Joiner and Cabinet Maker, by Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz. This one is a little strange. It started out as a short book in 1839, disappeared for quite a while, and was eventually found by Schwarz and Moskowitz. The original book included discussion on how to get ahead in your trade, why you might be interested in woodworking, and basic operations. It also included three projects: a packing crate, a box for school books and lunch, and a chest of drawers. Schwarz and Moskowitz added a preface on what the trades and trade unions in England looked like at the time, footnotes with explanation or expansion in the original text, and a section walking through actually building the projects in the book. It's not exactly a how-to book, but there's a lot of good advice and explanation in it. And, if nothing else, it's a good read! (Also the audio book version was read by Roy Underhill, and although I haven't listened to it it's bound to be fantastic.)
So there you have it: my top choices for introductory woodworking books. Give them a read, and let me know if you like them!
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