Best Traditional Woodworking Books: 'The Anarchist's Tool Chest'

Joshua Farnsworth shares another favorite traditional woodworking book: "The Anarchist's Tool Chest" by Christopher Schwarz. You can buy the book here:

[JonDarntDouchit-iw]

This book has been reissued and is available from Lost Art Press. Printed and bound in the USA with American materials.

[TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

Great book, I really enjoy reading his great mind to listen to....Nice review.

[Finewoodworkingofsc]

Thanks for the review.  I've often thought of purchasing this book.  I like your book stand.  Roy Underwood had a similar one which had interesting joinery.

[shoewriter]

Hey Josh, I like that saw rack behind you. I can get all my old hand saws out of the trunk and hang'em where they belong. Any plans?

[MrUltimateer]

Where did you find this version of this book?  The original cost $600.00.  How much did this one cost?

[tiesthijsthejs]

Thanks for the great advice!
Do you know a good book to have a starting point for going back on different types of trees and bushes and their respective woodwork applications? (Although I would need something concerning the European ecologic situation.)

[Tensquaremetreworkshop]

An anarchist is not someone who ignores social or other norms- it is someone who actively opposes the authority imposing such norms. 'Doing your own thing' is very far from anarchy.

[briananderson]

The chest described in this book is virtually identical to one described in "The Handyman's Book" by Paul N Hasluck first published in 1903. It has the same silly saw till with that swoop on top of the kerf boards. But why would one subscribe to the nature of only owning a given set of tools. Tool selection is related to skills in doing various woodworking tasks and how one learned them. Not just an arbitrary list. Is CS a Master cabinetmaker? I have seen him described that way. He is a published author but that does NOT make him a master.

But back to the book/chest. The tool section of the book is useful but that chest is goofy. Many implementations have made changes to the saw till or added storage for chisels etc. Better saw till ideas exist. This one fails badly on one key area; it wastes space extremely. And it restricts the movement of the top most tray. I am also not a fan of trays. They discourage protecting tools and favor chaos theory in tool storage organization.