What Is Your Favorite Woodworking Magazine?

[Jerry Murray]

The title says it all.

What do you subscribe to?

[Chris Friesen]

I like Woodworking magazine. The lack of ads is refreshing, and the projects are generally interesting. Mostly Shaker, American, etc. I have a whole list of them that I want to do. This is the only magazine to which I have a subscription.

The same guys do Popular Woodworking, which has become much better in recent years. I like it as well, but not as much. I'm not subscribed, but buy the occasional issue.

[mike holden]

The latest one to arrive in the mail.
Mike

[Joe Aliperti]

I really like Woodsmith. There's no ads, the level of skill required is well-suited to my current ability, the plans are well-drawn, they list sources for all of the hardware, and I like the texture of the cover. :) And even if I'm not interested in one of the featured projects, each one showcases a specific woodworking technique that is taught in a separate article.

[Gene Howe]

Woodsmith and Wood.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

The latest one to arrive in the mail.
Mike

Mike,

That's a fantastic answer!!!

Jerry,

I think my favorite is probably Fine Woodworking, but I enjoy them all.

Paul

[Heather Thompson]

WOODWORK, so glad that it has been kept alive, it is the true spirit of real woodworking. Tom Caspar is a real hero in the world of woodworking, most magazines are selling out to the tool companies, this magazine embraces the artistic side of woodworking. If I could only have one magazine, this would be it!!!!!!

Heather :)

[Jason Kanak]

I like Shopnotes. Very similar to Woodsmith. But they include some shop projects that include leather smithing (making a leather chisel roll-up holder/carrier) and easy metal working (making a scratch awl). They also have articles/plans on how to make your own shop equipment like a drum sander. Not fine furniture or cabinets but interesting stuff no less.

I also like Popular Woodworking....can't beat the Schwarz!

[Myk Rian]

Looks like Woodwork is no longer.

I subscribe to Wood and WoodSmith magazines. At one time I had a script. to Handy, but got tired of all the sexual enhancement ads. It doesn't really appeal to the woodworker anyhow.

[Jim A. Moore]

I've recently gotten hooked on Woodworking Magazine. It's editted by Christopher Schartz. It focuses on craftsmanship - and especially helps fill in my understanding of why things work.

[Prashun Patel]

The latest one to arrive in the mail.
Mike

hahahah! I thought i was the only one. If it has the word "wood" in the title, I'm usually reading it cover-to-cover.

[Mark Ebert]

I subscribe to Wood, Fine woodworking and Woodsmith and find them all to be worthwhile. I have to give the nod up to Woodsmith however because of their great plans and project details.

[Rod Sheridan]

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking........Rod.

[Clifford Mescher]

The latest one to arrive in the mail.
Mike
+1 Clifford.

[Ryan Stagg]

I subscribe to FWW, but find myself buying and reading Popular Woodworking much more. FWW used to be the be-all, end-all of, well, fine woodworking, but lately their articles seem to be much more aimed at beginners and questionable tool evaluations. Frankly I find Fine Homebuilding to be much more "fine"-oriented anymore.

Popular Woodworking seems to have picked up FWW's mantle of late, with much better articles about hand-tool use, historical techniques, etc.

The only part of FWW I really enjoy anymore is the Reader's Gallery section - I like seeing others' work. If PW added a similar monthly section, I'd probably be done with FWW for good.

[Joe Scharle]

Wood, Woodsmith & American Woodworker

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I'm a charter subscriber to FWW. I have them all and read them all. I must admit, the FWW web site with the videos and added features has renewed my interest. I was getting kind of bored with the "sameness" of the articles and projects. Now I spend a few moments at a time online looking at a few "how to' videos. I also enjoy seeing the fruits of everyone's labors in the projects section. I don't use the forum much, I enjoy this one a great deal more.
fmr

[Joe Jensen]

Fine Woodworking

[Bill Houghton]

WOODWORK, so glad that it has been kept alive, it is the true spirit of real woodworking. Tom Caspar is a real hero in the world of woodworking, most magazines are selling out to the tool companies, this magazine embraces the artistic side of woodworking. If I could only have one magazine, this would be it!!!!!!

Heather :)

It has? Last information I had was that the new owners had decided to shut it down. From an e-mail from the publisher March 5, "We have been informed from the Home Office that Woodwork Magazine ceased publication with the Spring 2009 issue."

I agree with you about how good a magazine it was - I went back in recent years and bought issues I'd missed during a period when I couldn't keep up the subscription.

[Don Mitchell]

It sounds like Woodwork was saved after all. Which is good news because I really liked that one. Hopefully its ok the post the link. Sorry if not.

http://americanwoodworker.com/forums/t/2130.aspx

[Ben Franz]

I like Fine Woodworking and Shopnotes. Used to take Woodsmith but let it lapse just because I wanted to cut down on magazines. Recently started Wood and Woodworker's Journal with trial rate special deals - so far I'm not too keen on either and will probably let both lapse without renewing.

I also get Fine Homebuilding and Journal of Light Construction - both excellent for builders.

[Jim Rimmer]

I get Woodworkers Journal which I think is pretty good. I'm just sent in my script to Popular Woodworking and I downloaded a lot of plans from their website.

I also get This Old House. I got an offer for a cheap trial subscription and sent it in. It is not anything like I thought it would be; lots of good articles for around-the-house type projects and repairs.

[Nancy Laird]

Not in any order of preference:

1. Fine Woodworking
2. Wood
3. Woodsmith
4. Shop Notes

I let our subscriptions to American Woodworker and Popular Woodworking lapse - and Wood may be the next to go.

[Mark Elmer]

I subscribe to Wood and Popular Woodworking. I also subscribe to a wood turning magazine (I can't remember the name) My skill level is "intermediate" at best because I have so little discretionary time to devote to actual shop time. :( My job takes me out away from home quite a bit right now.

However, reading these and other magazines keeps me interested and engaged in the hobby. And I often take one or more of these magazines with me on the road so I have something interesting to read in the evening.

[Gary Breckenridge]

How much wood would a Wood chuck chuck
if a wood chuck would chuck wood ?

[Jerome Hanby]

Woodsmith, Shopnotes, and Wood. Subscribe to the FWW website, so I get to read their mag online.

[Carroll Courtney]

I like the Wood Shop News mag. or news letter & Woodsmith mag.I am very disappointed in fine Woodworking,just to many ads.I drop it couple of yrs back.I should not have to pay for all the advertisements,8.00 per mag?----Carroll

[Ben West]

Chris Schwarz has absolutely transformed Popular Woodworking into a first class publication. It's my new favorite.

[sean m. titmas]

i subscribe to FWW but also buy Shopnotes, Wood, and Popular woodworking and the occasional British woodworking rag off the newsstand when the cover looks interesting.

FWW has some great articles that go into a lot of detail about different subjects but i find that 75% of the mag is filled adverts and is a waste of time. Also there should be a moratorium on dovetail cutting articles. Enough is enough. Here are some subjects I would like to see covered more often in the mag.

Cutting cabriole legs
Steam bending
Vacuum bagging and vacuum clamping
Lathe work
Veneering
Bent laminations
Furniture design
Leather and upholstery work and how to design it into a project
Cabinetmaking
Business tactics ie, pricing, scheduling and managing work flow
Profile of successful shops around the country.

the other magazines on the stand have the occasional interesting article but for the most part are filled with fluff and hobby shop related projects. i feel the articles with the scaled drawings of a project are a waste of space and could be better spent on something more interesting and useful. generating plans from a finished piece or a photograph is something i don’t want to spend money for, I can do that myself and a good woodworker should be able to do that for him/herself. That’s a basic skill that is better suited to a DIY magazine. our community is in desperate need of a magazine that is directed towards professional woodworkers and addresses the challenges and obstacles we face everyday. FWW is the best so far but could use a little refinement.

[Curt Harms]

Popular Woodworking is the best value going IMO. I get Wood but only 'cause I got it fo' cheep.

[Rick Thom]

I've recently gotten hooked on Woodworking Magazine. It's editted by Christopher Schartz. It focuses on craftsmanship - and especially helps fill in my understanding of why things work.
plus one....

[Bruce Wrenn]

Currently, my favorite is Wood. Cashed a $100 check from them last week, so I might be prejudiced a little (one hundred dollars to be exact) right now. Each magazine has it's merits. Every time I swear I'm going to dump one, they come out with something that really gets my interest going again. Plus paying me for tips does help their case also.

[Rick Moyer]

Woodsmith, Shopnotes, and Wood. Subscribe to the FWW website, so I get to read their mag online.


I like the Wood Shop News mag. or news letter & Woodsmith mag.I am very disappointed in fine Woodworking,just to many ads.I drop it couple of yrs back.I should not have to pay for all the advertisements,8.00 per mag?----Carroll

Ditto on the Woodsmith, Shopnotes and Wood. (Shopnotes and Woodsmith are alternate pubs). I have always been hesitant on FWW. It seems like a great mag. but sometimes is over the top for ave. abilities. I wonder if the online is the best route if it can be utilized w/o subbing to the mag first?

[george wilson]

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking too,but most of the time I really don't know why. I am also tired of endless articles for beginners.I am also tired of some of the badly designed,or otherwise ridiculous looking
looking furniture and tools in their "Reader's Gallery."

The trouble with some of these magazines is that the editors aren't woodworkers themselves.Home Shop Machinist is another magazine that prints whatever their readers make pictures of and submit. The former editor admitted to me that he wasn't a machinist when I wrote a letter complaining about the fallacious information that one of their regular contributors kept submitting. And now,the guy has books for sale on their ads!!!

I think a lot of these magazines get a good deal of their stuff for free from those who like to see their names in print.

[Griph0n Brown]

Woodwork Magazine.

Seems to be back:
http://www.woodwork-magazine.com/index.php/archives/5

[sean m. titmas]

maybe we should start our own E-zine that is just for professional woodworkers. Gary Katz from JLC online forum has started one called ThisIsCarpentry (http://www.thisiscarpentry.com/imag/issue1/pageflip.htm)and it has some really great articles geared towards the professional carpenter with out all the adverts and nonsence, fluff pieces that pander to DIY'ers and the inexpierenced.
if anybody has some ideas for a layout and content lets hear it. i'll start a new thread called "This is woodworking" to discuss this. any takers?

[Johnathon Reed]

Wood and Woodsmith.

[Scott T Smith]

I enjoyed this thread, and used it to help guide me in some recent new magazine subscriptions of my own.

I'm also doing some research into woodworking magazine popularity, in order to help me determine where to advertise my soon to be open quartersawn oak business.

For those who are interested, here is a compilation of the responses to this thread. I left off any magazines where the poster stated that they were going to let lapse.

Scott


FWW 11
Wood 11
Woodsmith 10
PWW 6
Shopnotes 6
Woodworking 3
American Woodworker 1
Woodworkers Journal 1
Wood shop news 1

[Jim Finn]

One more vote for Shopnotes

[Rick Neely]

Add one more vote for:

Woodsmith
Shopnotes
Wood

[Prashun Patel]

Update:

After monkeying with many subscrips over the past 8 years, here's my latest config:

ShopNotes
Wood (for 'doable' projects for the beginner/intermediate woodworker)
Fine Woodworking (for design inspiration). I think the online edition is better than the print, since you can get the major articles for the latest edition online AND you can search the archive.