Hand Tool Book Review

I’ve been listening to Ray’s calm and considered synopses of great hand tool woodworking books for a 9 months and love it. Short, sweet, thought provoking and focused on my interest in hand tool woodworking. The book reviews are interesting and likely to inspire woodworking woodworms but this is not why I like it - realistically I’m not going to buy or read my way through that many woodworking books (at least not soon). No, I like it for the accumulated experience of someone further down the road than me but not yet an “expert”. The dangers of tool acquisition disorder, mistakes shared, lessons Ray has learnt from his books and his bench passed on incidentally while discussing a topic from the pages of this week’s book. That’s not to say I’ve not been inspired to look up a few books on the way. I’ve also liked the book readings and interviews. Thanks for all your hard work Ray.

What an innovative woodworking podcast! Most woodworking shows talk about table saws and festools and other noisy things and whilst they are often entertaining they do lose my interest at times. Woodworking for me is a hobby and my little handtool workshop is my escape from the business of life. It is somewhere I go to relax, and that is where this podcast is great. It feels as if the presenter is reading a prepared script, and his delivery is soft and smooth, exactly how I would like my woodworking to be. He’s honest as well, no bragging about his latest acquisition or how great his projects are. I feel he is there with me on the journey to woodworking perfection (whatever that may be as it always seems one step ahead of me). But what of the content. I now have a reading list as long as your arm, and this gives me more ways to enjoy the relaxing pleasure of making shavings. Thank you