In every issue of M&T we want to review a book we think will benefit our readers. For Mike and I, this issue’s selection was a no-brainer. Woodworking in Estonia, recently republished by Lost Art Press, has got to be one of the most important books released on traditional woodworking in a long time. Antes Viires spent many years of his life documenting and studying the wood craft tradition of Estonian artisans and wrote a comprehensive book founded in scholarly rigor and aimed to inspire the next generation of craftspeople.
Because Mike has been poring over this book since it came out he jumped at the opportunity to write a review. He has been particularly fascinated to see that understanding “green” woodworking as a separate thing from working dried lumber is a modern distinction. The book clearly shows how moisture content was not about what style of woodworking you prefer but was more about a deep understanding of the material and its appropriate application in each situation. There is even a section about when and how to cut the wood related to the moon phases.
This book shows that some measure of woodworking skill could be seen in virtually every household. The fact that this well-rounded community of craftspeople could easily furnish and maintain their lives has been an inspiration for us.
That’s enough for now. I’ll let Mike gush further about this book in M&T Issue Two.
More articles to be announced. Stay tuned tomorrow…