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That's all well and good, and he can do what he wants.
My point is that there are too many political anarchists dominating portions of the media these days giving anarchy a bad name, a la "lawlessness and political disorder," and too great a chance for Schwarz to get (thoughtlessly) lumped in with the rest whether he will or no. In much of today's world, perception is reality. It's a feature of Newspeak that is currently making great strides in some circles and I say again Schwarz is living dangerously. It doesn't matter what anarchism means to him if that's not consonant with what it means to others (who aren't listening to his nuanced views on the subject).
Much as I enjoy reading his stuff and questioning many of his views, I wouldn't wish to be associated with him when the Congressman asks, "Are you now or have you ever been an anarchist?"
Fair winds and following seas,
Jim Waldron
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My opinion...
Schwarz intentionally chose the term anarchist for his book, simply because it brings up the connotation that he's living dangerously and not following any "rules." He's also - as a journalist - well aware that anarchy is most often associated with political anarchism, and I believe that's also intentional because it draws more attention and interest. More Google hits, so-to-speak. He has a clever marketing brain, and you gotta give him credit for that.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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(11-07-2019, 02:51 PM)AHill Wrote: that's also intentional because it draws more attention and interest. More Google hits, so-to-speak.
Exactly...he is an editor after all.
But some who bought the book thought they were into some kind of woodworking anarchy. The same kind of people who are mistaken about fancy (boutique?) hand tools and hard earned skills.
Simon
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So, are we (WoodNet) features of Schwarz aesthetic anarchy by virtue of his "complaint link"?
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(11-04-2019, 12:33 AM)JohnnyEgo Wrote: Not offended. Found it funny. I am of the fan camp. Found Chris about a year ago when I decided to pick up some hand tools. I was immediately a fan of his writing; it is very definitely of a piece with the Gen-X generation, of which both of us are a part. There is mild east coast snark, semi-ironic detachment, self-deprecating humor, and a background hint of continual amazement that things haven't ended in catastrophic failure.
There are a lot of baby-boomer woodworking writers, and the next generation of folks who are digital-native and write like it. There's not a lot of in-between. Chris speaks to how my generation of woodworkers came into the hobby; with at best a single shop class in high school or a parent or grandparent with a few tools and a penchant for not explaining things. Most of us learned out of self-study aided by a few books, most likely borrowed from the library or bought at the Walden's in the mall. We bought crappy 90s China import tools from Sears and tried to remember to record 'The New Yankee Workshop' on PBS with our VCRs. Then the internet happened, and we could finally fill in the knowledge gap with the boomers still into woodwork and vanity. We don't have a classical woodworking education, and we don't appreciate the listicle or Instagram over quality written word. We're a small weird group sandwiched between two generations that are much louder, so it's nice to hear things in our own voice every now and then. Which no doubt accounts for a small chunk of Chris's fan base.
Repeated 'cause there seems to be only a few of us!
You are frequently puzzled by things you tell us you fully understand. - Bob10 to EH 9/22/16
Too much has been made out of my mostly idle comments - Cletus 12/9/15
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To me personally there were just 4 guys I have learned a lot from either TV or DVDs.
1. Roy Underhill TV show and 15 DVDs
2. Frank Klausz 4 DVDs
3. Sam Maloof 2 DVDs
4. Tage Frid 1 DVD
The others just can not hold a candle to them. There are others here who I think are better then them to of which I have learned a lot to.
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification. Thank You Everyone.
It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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(11-12-2019, 10:15 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: To me personally there were just 4 guys I have learned a lot from either TV or DVDs.
1. Roy Underhill TV show and 15 DVDs
2. Frank Klausz 4 DVDs
3. Sam Maloof 2 DVDs
4. Tage Frid 1 DVD
The others just can not hold a candle to them. There are others here who I think are better then them to of which I have learned a lot to.
I'll add a few more:
Norm Abram (New Yankee Workshop)
David Marks (Woodworks)
Rob Cosman (his videos are excellent)
Harrelson Stanley (Japanese Tools)
Toshio Odate (Japanese Tools)
Thomas Lie-Nielsen (Not so much for teaching, but for bringing us modern versions of vintage tools)
Rob Lee (Again, not so much for teaching, but for developing new tools and service to the woodworking community)
I don't know that I learned a lot from Chris Schwarz, but he was probably the biggest single influence I had to get into hand tools.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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11-13-2019, 12:14 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-13-2019, 12:17 PM by Handplanesandmore.)
(11-12-2019, 10:15 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: To me personally there were just 4 guys I have learned a lot from either TV or DVDs.
1. Roy Underhill TV show and 15 DVDs
2. Frank Klausz 4 DVDs
3. Sam Maloof 2 DVDs
4. Tage Frid 1 DVD
The others just can not hold a candle to them. There are others here who I think are better then them to of which I have learned a lot to.
If books are included, my list would be #3, #4, Krenov, Peters, Hampton, and Hayward. Some modern writers may have added to the body of woodworking knowledge, but they're no where near influential to the craft as them.
I'm picky about books, and most recent books are not worth my money or time, with the exception of Michael Pekovich's, not much for its content but more for its photography (the content is good if you haven't been an efficient worker all along). These days, anyone with (or without) a large social media following can write a book or two. None of their materials are new or refreshing (partly not their faults, because of the giants before them). Here, I am with Bandit - money better spent on lumber. Unless you're a beginner (or work like a beginner), you don't need to read more new books, you need to work (in the shop) more, which does use up lumber. If you want to be a scholarly or armchair woodworker, that's a different story.
Simon
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I am amazed by the directions this thread moves. It's all a refreshing read. I wish I had access to more direct contact with tool offerings..... I just experienced disappointment with a new purchase that should not have done what happened. (Intentionally vague.)
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(11-12-2019, 10:15 PM)Arlin Eastman Wrote: To me personally there were just 4 guys I have learned a lot from either TV or DVDs.
1. Roy Underhill TV show and 15 DVDs
2. Frank Klausz 4 DVDs
3. Sam Maloof 2 DVDs
4. Tage Frid 1 DVD
The others just can not hold a candle to them. There are others here who I think are better then them to of which I have learned a lot to.
2 others that influenced me were Jim Kingshott and Garrett Hack , when i first started to use hand tools.
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