Lost Art Press — Publisher of diverse and original and historical woodworking texts. Outstanding blog.

Some of my favorite Lost Art Press publications:

The Anarchist’s Tool Chest — Probably the book that put LAP and Christopher Schwarz on the map. An original take on the clichéd “buy these tools” type books, The Anarchist’s Tool Chest’s framework focuses on historical approaches to building a chest for your traditional hand tools. The size of the chest is determined by its contents, and the contents, Schwarz argues, should be limited by tradition and function; he explains tool selection in detail in relation to function and placement within the chest. The “anarchist” part is the best: use the tools in your carefully designed chest to help remove yourself from the traditional economy of garbage furniture and housewares and objects by building your own.

To Make As Perfectly As Possible: Roubo on Marquetry — A contemporary translation of one volume of an original 18th century French woodworking text. This publication exemplifies LAP’s work: deep research and analysis in the service of bringing valuable historic information to light.

Chairmaker’s Notebook — Another of LAP’s strengths: original, in-depth instruction by talented crafts makers. Peter Galbert’s thorough and detailed Windsor chairmaking process hand-illustrated by the author. In a similar vein see Mouldings in Practice by Matthew Bickford.

Peter Follansbee — Joiner’s Notes — Follansbee is one of the foremost practitioners and scholars of early American furniture and woodcarving. Formerly a long-time joiner at Plimoth Plantation Follansbee has in recent years struck out on the teaching circuit. His blog is down-to-earth and detailed, frequently featuring his beautifully carved work for sale.

The Carpentry Way — Chris Hall specializes in traditional Japanese architecture and woodworking. An immaculate craftsman, Hall’s blog focuses on intensely detailed and thoughtfully written accounts of his current work.

The Barn on White Run — Don Williams, recently retired after “almost three decades as Senior Furniture Conservator at the Smithsonian Institution” is a wealth of knowledge on historical woodworking practice, specifically traditional finishing techniques. A polymath with wide-ranging interests and an erudite writing style found in his blog, Musings.