Is it me or . . . .

[lowell holmes]

do you agree. I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading woodworking magazines, but the subject matter recently written by two that I take has left me cold.

I have current issues from two different publications and there is not anything of interest. I know it is difficult to stay fresh, but I'm a bit disappointed.
I used to wait on the new issues and would read, re-read, and then make something as a result. I've made chairs, tables, and shop devices.
Some of the woodworkers that did how to do it articles are not doing it now. I miss their articles.

[Jim Koepke]

We are in a period of transition with some upheaval in our publishing industry.

Printed media is in a slow spiral toward disappearance.

More and more is appearing on line.

Does anyone subscribe to FWW on line? Is it as disappointing as the printed magazine is at times?

jtk

[James Pallas]

I started with FWW with issue 1 and kept subscribing for a long time and gave up when it went to trying to appeal to all. I then tried again a few years back had the same feelings and gave up again last year. I know the business requires sales to keep going and expand and it's not a technical publication for professionals. I just don't have a need for cutting dovetails by fifty different authors trying to say that they have a new way. It is sad that the printed word is mostly gone.
Jim

[Pete Taran]

My favorite was back in the 90s when American Woodworker was still around. I think Popular Woodworking has become what that magazine was. A little power tool stuff, but mostly hand tool content. Seems like most of the guys who published in that magazine like Frank Klausz and others got upset and just quit contributing.

On a related note, did anyone see the article by Christian Becksvoort in the latest FWW? On page 41 there is a picture of him using an original Independence Tool dovetail saw (cutting cross grain no less). There were a handful of professionals who bought them back in 1996 when we started making them. Makes me smile when I see a tool I sold 22 years ago still in service by a professional. Tells me we did something right.

[Frederick Skelly]

Pete, you oughta smile and also be proud. As I understand it, you and your partner started the tool revolution from which all of us are still benefitting! Hats off to you!

Fred

[Justin Ludwig]

Order Mortise & Tenon and when you finish those 4 issues, order Woodworking in Estonia.

[steven c newman]

I gave up on FWW, about the time their "Knots" section on-line went downhill....
WOOD went to a different sort of format....didn't like it. Never bought another one..

Now a days, IF something in a magazine catches my interest, I might buy that issue....

[lowell holmes]

Popular Woodworking used to read this forum. Maybe they will do something. I used to subscribe to their website.

[John C Cox]

The trouble is that you need good writers who also have the knowledge and tool chops... And often those two vectors don't converge... So you have to pay the fellows good money to do it... Because there is PLENTY of money in pontificating about Cars, Sports, and partisan political commentary in the USA

There just aren't many Chris Swartz's in the world. And guys like Derek Cohen (who can do a good job at both) already have "real life" paying day jobs...

You will generally find one or the other... A fellow who has tremendous tool and fabrication chops with *NO* professional writing ability or you find professional writers and photographers with NO tool skills...

And so if you want good articles and good writing and good photography - you have to pay for that.... And right now - nobody wants to pay for that.... And so you see the guys like Chris doing a lot of obscure projects like translation of Ruobo as a way to make enough money to pay for writing chisel reviews for the website. ...

[Simon MacGowen]

do you agree. I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading woodworking magazines, but the subject matter recently written by two that I take has left me cold.

I have current issues from two different publications and there is not anything of interest. I know it is difficult to stay fresh, but I'm a bit disappointed.
I used to wait on the new issues and would read, re-read, and then make something as a result. I've made chairs, tables, and shop devices.
Some of the woodworkers that did how to do it articles are not doing it now. I miss their articles.

I have access to almost all ww magazines through the club and I can find a "bad" article no matter what the magazine is or what timeframe is it in. Like their old cousins, modern articles, some written by the same people in the 80s, have their share of good and poor stories.

I can still learn some good methods of work now and then after all these years, but not everybody learns the same way. I only have FW and the readers gallery gives me ideas to build similar fancy pieces.

Simon

[Wade Holloway]

I agree that a lot of the content has gone downhill along with some of the publishing companies. I have been a subscriber to FWW for years with either print or online. Not to long ago i got a new IPad Pro and FWW changed their app so all of the books that I had bought have disappeared and does not even show up that I had bought them. Been on the phone with them several times with no resolution. I am about ready to tell them to go take a hike. I can deal with the issues not being what I like all of the time but when something like this happens and you are made to feel like they don’t care at all if you are happy or not make me want to go down the road. Lately I have been reading some of the magazines put together in England and they seem to be pretty good.

[Matthew Springer]

I still do FWW and PW online and just picked up Woodsmith. I read a lot on my tablet, so the fact it's online and takes up no space or weight is a big deal for me. For me the best thing is the archive and index. When i want to build something I'll sit down and search and look for 8 or 9 different implementations of the same thing and then see what's common and what's not.

I enjoy the study of the craft almost as much as the craft.

[Simon MacGowen]

I Been on the phone with them several times with no resolution. I am about ready to tell them to go take a hike. I can deal with the issues not being what I like all of the time but when something like this happens and you are made to feel like they don’t care at all if you are happy or not make me want to go down the road. Lately I have been reading some of the magazines put together in England and they seem to be pretty good.

Lodge a complaint and let them know. I give vendors opportunities to make good and if they still fail, I vote with my feet. Good contents with poor customer service or support still get my boot.

Simon

[Dave Anderson NH]

Even though none of us know it all and there is always something new to learn, reading magazine articles slowly becomes a study in diminishing returns. Over the years I subscribed to American Woodworker, FWW, Pop WW, and Fine Tool Journal. I eventually stopped subscriptions to each of them. For me personally belonging to an active guild and the content available on the net have provided me all I need. After all, there is only so much time in the day and some of should be devoted to actually working wood. I have no beef with any of the publications, the just don't meet my needs any more.

[Pete Taran]

Dave,

You bring up a good point. Woodworking magazines are not meant for folks that have been actively progressing their skills over many decades. I subscribe to FWW and Pop Woodworking, mostly to keep up with what's new by way of tools, not the techniques shown.

Your other point is also spot on. The online presence has had a HUGE impact on print media. Back when I got started in woodworking in 1991 as a young Army 2LT, every time I could get to the bookstore I would scour the racks for new books on WW. That was all there was at the time. I still look, but the reality is that when people have time to devote to writing something, they do it online in a blog or forum. There are very few new content books published anymore, which in a way is sad. I know everything changes and nothing stays the same, but seems like we have lost something if people stop writing books and only post content online.

FWIW