Woodworking Magazines - How many of your subscribe to any?

[George Bokros]

Do you subscribe to any woodworking magazines?

If so which ones do you subscribe to and are they print versions or on-line?

I subscribe to two - Wood Magazine and Woodsmith. I have become somewhat unsure if I will continue Woodsmith. Since Shop Notes was discontinued and sort of rolled into Woodsmith along with less appealing projects I am on the fence about the next renewal.

Thanks

[Marshall Harrison]

I have an electronic subscription to Fine Woodworking and that's it. I download and read it on my iPad.

[Mike Heidrick]

Wood and wwj for me. I like $10 sub not $32.

[Frederick Skelly]

FWW & WOOD here, George.

[Robert Cherry]

I’ve had a FWW subscription almost since the inception of the magazine. I also recently subscribed to Wood and Popular Woodworking, mostly because they were too good a deal to pass up. All three are print, but with FWW and PWW you get the electronic version along with the print edition.

[Larry Anderson]

I too get Wood and have almost every issue of Woodsmith.

[Ralph Okonieski]

I subscribe to FWW primarily because of subscription through grandchildrens’ fundraisers. A lot of FWW projects have become too much “artsy” for my tastes. I’ve lost my interest in it lately.

[Frederick Skelly]

A lot of FWW projects have become too much “artsy” for my tastes.

I agree Ralph. Overall, I still enjoy the mag, though.

[Jim Becker]

I stopped subscribing to magazines a number of years ago. The last was Fine Woodworking which I liked, but even it was getting way too redundant over past material...which is a major issue with "activity focused" magazines like this.

Oh, Ok...I get Woodshop News, but it's more of a trade advertising rag than a "magazine" and is free to me.

[Mike Kees]

FWW in print form for me. I still learn cool stuff and get good ideas for projects looking at the pictures,not always the plans in the mag. Mike.

[Tom Bain]

I have an electronic subscription to Fine Woodworking and that's it. I download and read it on my iPad.

Ditto ... In a way, I feel like YouTube has somewhat displaced the magazines as the “go to” for learning and getting new ideas.

[Peter Christensen]

I don't subscribe to any but I'm the Saskatchewan Woodworkers' Guild Librarian so I skim a half dozen or so each month. Rarely do I find an article that I stop and read. I stopped my FWW subscription about 8ish years ago because the articles had less and less written content and more repetition. Sort of like a title of Cutting Dovetails With A Butterknife. Then a paragraph header of Cutting Dovetails With A Butterknife. On the page was Cutting Dovetails With A Butterknife and then a paragraph with Cutting Dovetails With A Butterknife few extra lines barely saying how. Finally there would be a captioned picture of Cutting Dovetails With A Butterknife. Got tired of the "Windows" like presentation layout and no actual information to read. With the advent of more youtube videos the magazines have even less. I compared the number of pages in the last FWW against one of the issues 20 years ago and there were 20 pages less and 25% fewer feature articles but a few more Departments.

[julian abram]

FWW in print for me. I'm not much interested in the articles on museum/art quality projects, guess I'm too practical to appreciate working 20 weeks building an intricate Japanese screen for a small storage cabinet.

[Dave Cav]

.

Oh, Ok...I get Woodshop News, but it's more of a trade advertising rag than a "magazine" and is free to me.

I get Woodshop News, too; I like the finishing articles and sometimes the feature article on the cabinet shop of the month is interesting. I have subscribed to just about every other ww'ing magazine out there, but FWW is the only one I still get. I had a bunch of Woodworking Journal and Woodsmith in binders, but gave them away when I moved; the newest ones were probably 20 years old. I have nearly a complete set of FWW and yes, it does sometimes (often?) get redundant, but I do get some ideas from it as well. I also use the on-line index often to look for a particular topic and and pull the relevant issues off the shelf.

[Derek Cohen]

I still subscribe to FWW and PopWood. Both are good mags, although very little of the build content is meaningful to me - I prefer to design my own pieces and draw up my own plans. I do like looking for ideas and appreciate those of others. I also like looking at the techniques. There is always something new to learn ... even when one feels comfortable.

Much of the content is aimed at intermediates, and it gets a bit monotonous. After 20+ years of membership, it is hard to break the habit and sense of family. In the grand scheme of things, the cost is miniscule, and the bonus is that with 3 minutes reading in bed, I am fast asleep! :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Henderson]

I don't subscribe to any. I did for years, but honestly, there is nothing in any of the magazines that I haven't seen before or I can't get online for free. They tend to be cyclical. Once you've been through the cycle a couple of times, what's the point?

[Bill Carey]

FWW, woodworkers journal, woodsmith, woodcraft, and 1 or 2 more. All for the grandson's school. He said "please, Grandpa?" What are ya gonna do? The only ones that sometimes avoid the recycling bin are select FWW.

[Chris Parks]

There is such easy access to information these days I think magazines have lost their reason to exist, that much is obvious and I think the better question might be which one will be the last one standing. I have always liked FWW for the quality of the mag itself but the contents can only say the same thing so many times before it becomes boring.

[Charlie Jones]

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking online but no prints.

[Jacob Mac]

If a magazine has an article on Greene and Greene, I will buy it. Otherwise I pass. So no subscriptions for me, but I will buy magazines when the content is of interest.

[Dave Lehnert]

I use to get Popular Woodworking on my Kindle but have not renewed. Keep looking for a deal but one never comes along. Kinda bugs me you can often get a deal on the print version but not the digital.
Like someone said above, you often can order the print and get the digital for free. But just the digital cost more ?????
Something else that bugs me is if I subscribe to the digital its like they don't even know I'm a customer already. Keep getting a notice to "Come back" for print.
I stopped getting magazines just because of the clutter in the house. I have 15 years worth of Wood magazines in totes.

[John Terefenko]

I use to subscribe to way too many and have weeded them down to my last issue of wood came last week So no more and now I have a ton of magazines I want to get rid of with no place to do this. I hate to just throw them out. But magazines got so rediculously redundant. They all said the same things and sold the same tools and the projects are one in a year maybe worth the effort. I scan them in the store now and if i find something I like I will purchase.

[Derek Cohen]

Mine often wind up in my waiting room. I claim them as a practice expense :)

Question for all: why do you read them? For the builds, for the tool information, seriously as in a learning medium, light-heartedly .... ??? This will influence the reason to purchase magazine. As I mentioned earlier, they are like reading the magazine in the weekend newspaper: some interesting titbits, the occasional serious or thought-provoking article, but mostly light-hearted pages to turn.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Andrew Seemann]

I used to have FWW and PW. Quit PW almost 20 years ago, just lost interest. Cancelled FWW about 6 years ago. There is only so many times you can read an article about cutting the perfect dovetail. That and the article titles started to sound like something out of Cosmo: "5 hand planes you can't live without" "3 surefire finishing recipes" "Why you need a bench top sander" "Half blind dovetails in half the time" (actual titles). I liked the articles more from the 70s and 80s and even 90s more than what started coming out in the 2000s and 2010s.

[Simon MacGowen]

No subscription to any magzines but have access to many ww magazines. Only FW is of interest to me for the quality photos and occasional quality projects.

I spend no more than 5 minutes on any other magazines in general and would not subscribe for them even though some offer huge discounts.

Simon

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I used to get Woodsmith, Shopnotes and FWW. Stopped FWW and changed over to Fine Homebuilding as I started my contracting business, but when I wound down, I stopped everything.
I have enough ideas and not enough time, unlike Derek I can't deduct the cost of magazines, and if I see something I want to persue, I'll check it out in the supermarket, but rarely will I buy another magazine.

[Michelle Rich]

I'm so old, I want to still have the luxury of print. Sit in my recliner, and read, and look at pictures without eye strain and eyeball squinting into a computer monitor. I still get FWW, and Popwwkng. They are my excuse to stop and smell the roses.

[Simon MacGowen]

I used to have FWW and PW. Quit PW almost 20 years ago, just lost interest. Cancelled FWW about 6 years ago. There is only so many times you can read an article about cutting the perfect dovetail. That and the article titles started to sound like something out of Cosmo: "5 hand planes you can't live without" "3 surefire finishing recipes" "Why you need a bench top sander" "Half blind dovetails in half the time" (actual titles). I liked the articles more from the 70s and 80s and even 90s more than what started coming out in the 2000s and 2010s.

Don't forget the tool reviews! Do ya really think someone could tell you how great a new tool was after it only came out for weeks?

If you said yes and entrusted your decision to an editor or another woodworker, you are pretty naive.

In the old days (eg Woodwork), profile articles were insightful. Nowadays they cover people because they are better known on social media!

Would I spend money on ANY magazine? Nope.

Simon

[Marshall Harrison]

Mine often wind up in my waiting room. I claim them as a practice expense :)

Question for all: why do you read them? For the builds, for the tool information, seriously as in a learning medium, light-heartedly .... ??? This will influence the reason to purchase magazine. A
Derek


I liked the articles more from the 70s and 80s and even 90s more than what started coming out in the 2000s and 2010s.

I only have the digital version of FWW as I got that when I took out the online subscription to their videos.

Derek, I would have more but I don't have the funds. I love woodworking and when I love something I want to devour everything I can about it. That's why I read most of the forum posts and I have lots of WW books. I didn't learn the alphabet until I was in the 1st grade and once I did that and learned to read I have had a life long love affair with reading. I often find a book that looks interesting and once I start reading it I find I have already read it before. I have one book that I have read almost every year since the 5th grade.

Andrew, I think people these days especially the younger generations are geared toward small bytes or snippets of info as well as a visual interface thus the short articles you are seeing. No real attention span.

[Ron Citerone]

I still subscribe to FWW and PopWood. Both are good mags, although very little of the build content is meaningful to me - I prefer to design my own pieces and draw up my own plans. I do like looking for ideas and appreciate those of others. I also like looking at the techniques. There is always something new to learn ... even when one feels comfortable.

Much of the content is aimed at intermediates, and it gets a bit monotonous. After 20+ years of membership, it is hard to break the habit and sense of family. In the grand scheme of things, the cost is miniscule, and the bonus is that with 3 minutes reading in bed, I am fast asleep! :)

Regards from Pert
I only do FWW, but agree completely with this..........especially the sleeping part!

[Al Launier]

Like many of you I find way too much repetition of common "how to" woodworking techniques (some of which are ridiculous in terms of quality craftsmanship), similar tool recommendations, unique finishing procedures nor applicable to my interests in WW, plus there usually are few articles of actual interest in terms of interesting projects. I'll go to B&N with my wife and when she is shopping I'll scan the WW magazines hoping to find an interesting project or article. If I do I'll buy the magazine, if not I'll go back to the car and take a nap until my wife is through with her shopping. Frankly I get much more useful info on projects and techniques from SMC and other WW forums.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

I'm somewhat design impaired so I usually piggyback someone else for inspiration on what to build. I used to subscribe to a bunch of them when I first started and enjoyed just thumbing through them but finally sold them. Big mistake. Like Michelle, I'm old and like taking it easy in the shop and reading some of the old ones - which are now gone, darnit. My favorite was the old giant size Woodworking Journals. I only get Wood these days and occasionally one of the those $8 a year subscriptions to the lesser mags.

[Sanjeev Agarwal]

I subscribe to FWW and Popular Wooodworking and have been doing for the past 10+ years. Also have the digital subscription for FWW. I have considered stopping these every time I have to renew as both mags have lost their appeal, but as a matter to habit still continue to subscribe. FWW is full of the same old articles and they are making articles out of small techniques which fill their pages but are a waste of magazine real estate. What I like about the magazine is their back cover, master class and occasionally a few good articles.

[Brian Henderson]

I use to subscribe to way too many and have weeded them down to my last issue of wood came last week So no more and now I have a ton of magazines I want to get rid of with no place to do this. I hate to just throw them out. But magazines got so rediculously redundant. They all said the same things and sold the same tools and the projects are one in a year maybe worth the effort. I scan them in the store now and if i find something I like I will purchase.

When we moved 2 years ago, I donated all of my magazines to the local library. Now, not only do I not take any, I don't own any either.

[Cary Falk]

I subscribed to Wood some years back when I got 4 years for something like $16. I would thumb through them in less than 5 minutes when they got here. I have acquired Wood, Woodsmith, Shop Notes and Fine Woodworking on DVD. Don't look at them much. My list of projects comes from my wife who sees them on Pintrest.

[Osvaldo Cristo]

Do you subscribe to any woodworking magazines?

If so which ones do you subscribe to and are they print versions or on-line?

[...]

Thanks

I have subscribed a few of them in the past, all of them for the printed version (well, there was no internet then...). I subscribed more recently Fine Woodworking... my single on line subscription but it is due and I did not renewed it.

My experience is all those magazines turn extremely repetitive after a period from one to three years. IMO it isn't worth a subscription after that period.

All the best.

[Bruce Wrenn]

I subscribe to two, Wood, and Woodsmith. Used to do three till ShopNotes was combined into Woodsmith. While waiting in line at BORGS, I scan FWW, and FHB, mostly for the readers tips. I've been a "Top Tip" winner in Wood, and have had several tips in Woodsmith over the years. Funny thing is when I did the "Top Tip," I didn't have to fill out a 1099, but the gal who came to take my picture did. Shows who got the most cash.

[Jeff Zihlman]

I subscribe to FWW and PopWood. I find I learn more from FWW but get more project ideas from Pop.

-Jeff

[Edwin Santos]

I think FWW is excellent. I get inspiration from many of the showcased designs, and while I agree there can be a lot of redundancy, I often pick up new ideas, even small ones, that become useful in the shop. Some of the contributing editors are excellent builders, Michael Pekovich is one.
Edwin

[Simon MacGowen]

I think FWW is excellent. I get inspiration from many of the showcased designs, and while I agree there can be a lot of redundancy, I often pick up new ideas, even small ones, that become useful in the shop. Some of the contributing editors are excellent builders, Michael Pekovich is one.
Edwin

He is also the Art Director (Designer? or something like that) for FW.

What makes FW stand out from the rest is that it draws from hundreds and hundreds of contributors, unlike the rest which rely on in-house staff (Woodsmith) or only two or three dozen writers. I did comment before about PW being dependent too much on Chris Schwarz even though he has left and a close knit of friends.

The breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of FW are unmatched by any other publications. It is more for advanced woodworkers looking for design ideas and inspirations. For DIYers, Wood, Woodsmith, Woodcraft, and Woodworker's Journal have endless supply of projects.

Simon

[David Utterback]

PW and FWW for years. Occasionally, I find inspiration in the FWW gallery submissions. Otherwise, it is a force of habit that keeps them coming in addition to some interest in providing support for the craft itself.

[Rod Sheridan]

I have a paid subscription to FWW and American Bungalow.

I have a free subscription to Canadian Woodworking (I'm a forum moderator).

Having been a long term FWW subscriber, I now mostly subscribe to it because Diann likes reading it. I have become disillusioned with the cyclic repetition of content. I really don't need another article on why you need a jointer and a planer. That said, the contributor work showcase is worth the price.

FWW has sponsored Rough Cuts, and I watched the first episode last weekend. I really enjoyed it except for the lack of a saw guard and the bizarre use of sleds on a Felder sliding saw. I wrote FWW thanking them for the show and choice of host, and castigated them regarding the guard and sled.

I like American Bungalow as I like A&C styles............regards, Rod.

[Edwin Santos]

The breadth and depth of knowledge and experience of FW are unmatched by any other publications. It is more for advanced woodworkers looking for design ideas and inspirations. For DIYers, Wood, Woodsmith, Woodcraft, and Woodworker's Journal have endless supply of projects.

Simon

This was one point I was trying to make but you articulated it much better than I. At one time in the 90's Taunton had an even higher brow magazine called Home Furniture which showcased studio/gallery furniture and included construction details. Think of it as design first, woodworking second as opposed to the reverse. Unfortunately that magazine only lasted a couple of years but some of the furniture showcased was really exquisite. Woodwork was a very design oriented woodworking magazine, but it didn't last either.
Edwin

[Randy Heinemann]

FWW print and online membership (but I believe that, if you subscribe to the online FWW site the digital version of the magazine is included with a total cost of $34.95). I use the FWW online access quite a bit for references on techniques and alternative ways to do things when I need a refresher or just am not sure about something. With articles dating back to the 70's and newer videos, I think it's a good resource.

Woodworker's Journal but I am much less interested in the content recently and may discontinue after my current subscription runs out.

Tried Woodsmith this year, but found that most of the content was a little too basic for me since I've been a woodworker since 1975.

[Jay Larson]

I subscribe to FWW, mostly out of inertia than anything else. I have every copy since inception, and 'hate' to have a hole in there. I still like to go back to some of the early issues and take a look at the 'how to make this machine' articles. I would like to hear some of the safety comments on some of those in this day and age.

I did subscribe to PW, but have let that lapse. Got repetitive and now they are even recycling the same articles, never mind techniques.

[Norman Pirollo]

Interesting topic. A couple of other woodworkers and I did something bold and recently launched a new woodworking magazine with mostly content and a small amount of curated advertising. It has a bit of a twist on what is already out there. I did read that magazines are on the decline, but maybe because they all seem to follow the same format. We are introducing a breath of fresh air into the mix you might say.

Norman

[Simon MacGowen]

. Think of it as design first, woodworking second as opposed to the reverse. Unfortunately that magazine only lasted a couple of years but some of the furniture showcased was really exquisite. Woodwork was a very design oriented woodworking magazine, but it didn't last either.
Edwin

To engage in that kind of work, techniques alone are not enough, they must be accompanied by patience. Most woodworkers, not just beginners, do not have patience. Without patience, most woodworkers admire high-end, well-executed joinery work but would not want to do such projects. Hence, magazines focusing on designs did not survive. For the same reason why I have met so many woodworkers who love dovetail work but don't use that joinery in their work because they want to see a finished build as soon as possible.

I believe WOOD has the largest circulation figure, leading everybody else by a very wide margin. It pitches at a level most woodworkers can do in a typical hobby shop.

Simon

[Simon MacGowen]

Interesting topic. A couple of other woodworkers and I did something crazy and launched a new woodworking magazine recently. It has a bit of a twist on what is already out there. I did read that magazines are on the decline, but maybe because they all seem to follow the same format. We are introducing a breath of fresh air into the mix I guess.

Norman

A bold move! I wish you success.

A while back, Paul Sellers was floating (loosely) an idea of publishing a hand-tools focused magazine. He did not pursue that further after his online teaching took off.

A yearly magazine, M&T (?), also has been published, but I can't foresee any new print magazine published once every month or every two months can survive in the era of Internet.

Simon

[Andrew Seemann]

To engage in that kind of work, techniques alone are not enough, they must be accompanied by patience. Most woodworkers, not just beginners, do not have patience. Without patience, most woodworkers admire high-end, well-executed joinery work but would not want to do such projects. Hence, magazines focusing on designs did not survive. For the same reason why I have met so many woodworkers who love dovetail work but don't use that joinery in their work because they want to see a finished build as soon as possible.

I believe WOOD has the largest circulation figure, leading everybody else by a very wide margin. It pitches at a level most woodworkers can do in a typical hobby shop.

Simon

For me the issue isn't so much patience as time. Time is a very scare resource for me at this point in life. I look at the high end stuff in magazines and think that looks really cool, but there is no way I have the time to do a project like that properly. I figure my kids are better off with a sturdy, good-enough pine dresser than a chippendale highboy that I wouldn't get done until they were in high school.

[Simon MacGowen]

For me the issue isn't so much patience as time. Time is a very scare resource for me at this point in life. I look at the high end stuff in magazines and think that looks really cool, but there is no way I have the time to do a project like that properly. I figure my kids are better off with a sturdy, good-enough pine dresser than a chippendale highboy that I wouldn't get done until they were in high school.

Of course, time is always a factor. Patience requires the investment of time.

I know a few people who have acquired the necessary skills but they still deliver results that are not compatible with their skill levels. Or, they make unnecessary mistakes because they try to rush through their tasks, which ends up taking more time (to fix) with worse outcomes. Some habits are poor and lack of patience is one of them (or is it a trait?). I came across a saying like woodworking minus patience is fire wood. I've found that reminder a big help in my work.

Simon

[Brian Henderson]

I subscribed to Wood some years back when I got 4 years for something like $16. I would thumb through them in less than 5 minutes when they got here. I have acquired Wood, Woodsmith, Shop Notes and Fine Woodworking on DVD. Don't look at them much. My list of projects comes from my wife who sees them on Pintrest.

I did the same thing a couple of years ago. I looked at a full year of both Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking and I couldn't find a single article in either of them over the course of the year that I had any interest in reading. I was kind of shocked at how little there is in any of those magazines for experienced woodworkers.

[Edwin Santos]

I did the same thing a couple of years ago. I looked at a full year of both Popular Woodworking and Fine Woodworking and I couldn't find a single article in either of them over the course of the year that I had any interest in reading. I was kind of shocked at how little there is in any of those magazines for experienced woodworkers.

You must be a very experienced and knowledgeable woodworker if most of the content in FWW is beneath your level. Even the Master Class articles?
I have always thought much of the joinery and techniques showcased in FWW to be advanced. But I guess we're all at different points on the never ending road of expertise.....
Edwin

[Simon MacGowen]

You must be a very experienced and knowledgeable woodworker if most of the content in FWW is beneath your level. Even the Master Class articles?
I have always thought much of the joinery and techniques showcased in FWW to be advanced. But I guess we're all at different points on the never ending road of expertise.....
Edwin

Brian did not say if he had a digital or print subscription. It might make a difference and it does for me.

I find that I can only scan and not really absorb the materials in any digital FW issues, but when I sit down with a physical copy, I see things that I usually don't on the monitor. This is why I have kept the FW from #1 till I stopped my subscription. One day, I may buy back all the missing issues.

As an example, I read Bob's L-fence article (#237) on my laptop when it came out and did not think it was a big deal as the L-fence wasn't something new in my shop. But, when I reread the article in print, I found out its powerful usefulness in cutting miters. I don't know who else uses a L-fence in that manner and no books in my collection mention about it.

FW has its faults, but its strengths (including the paper stock it uses) is something no other magazines have been able to match. Repetitive contents are unavoidable (for any type of magazine), but what matters is among the repetitive materials, are there something new to learn? The L-fence article -- others have covered the topic before -- is a good example of a yes.

Simon

[andrew whicker]

I'm sure my method misses some excellent advice that would only be covered in a random article (serendipity), but I generally buy interior architecture / design magazines. I let the different furniture pieces sink in, come up with my own design and then scour the internet, etc for ways to make what is in my head.

Someone mentioned a 52 boxes in a year book. That's probably a really good way to learn if you have the time and the method appeals to you. Afterall, joinery / wood growth seems to be the main difficulty in design. (I'm not a pro. My opinion could be totally wrong)


Cheers,

[Gary R Katz]

I was given hard bound copies of all FWW magazines from No.1 through 2006. A library was going to throw them out because no one bought them at their sales. It also included a very good spiral bound index. I use the magazines for researching ideas and techniques, however, many project plans are dated and trendy, as in 1980-90's era commissions that looked good in that era's decor. There's something to be said for timeless design concepts.