Customer Reviews:
Great book........2007-07-19
I'm not much for writing book reviews but had to for this one. I have alot of wood working books and this may be my favorite one. BUY IT you'll like it.
Shaker Furniture Making "Barney-Style".......2003-03-11
This book is fantastic. Detailed pictures, lists of required tools and woods, and step-by-step instructions help you create great-looking Shaker furniture. I used this book to create a Shaker blanket chest, which was my second "large" woodworking project. The quality of results surpassed my expectations. This book is a must for the beginning woodworker who wants to produce quality items while at the same time learning or re-learning basic techniques.
Just like having Norm there with you!.......1999-01-07
Perhaps I'm biased, I think Norm is to woodworking what Carl Sagan was to science. The projects are described in detail with Norm's hand on your shoulder. Complete and well detailed with out wasting time. I recommend this book and the rest of Norm's books highly.
very good;excellent instruction; furniture clean.......1997-12-23
I bought one of Norm Abram's book on outdoor furniture. I built the adirondack chairs, and then the garden bench. I learned alot, they turned out very well, and I subsequently bought all his other manuals. I wish he'd do some more. His plans and choices of projects are the best among the current title offered.
Amazon.com
Many appreciate the clean, simple lines of traditional Shaker furniture, yet few know the people behind the designs or the spiritual beliefs that play such an integral part in both their work and daily lives. In his book, The Shaker Legacy: Perspectives on an Enduring Furniture Style, author Christian Becksvoort, a contributing editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and an experienced custom furniture maker and restorer who's worked for the last remaining Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, examines the Shakers' faith in relation to their furniture. Becksvoort believes that "understanding Shaker furniture requires understanding the faith of the people who created it." Their religious practices--the constant striving for spiritual perfection in everything they did, the desire to emulate Christ and to live practically, "purely, free of vanity, greed, and pride"--permeate Becksvoort's insightful discussions of the Shaker culture, their recognized inventiveness (inventions include the circular saw, apple peeler, wash mill, and chimney cap), their influence on other furniture styles, and finally the furniture itself, which is the focal point of the book. Highly perfected, free of vain ornamentation, and utterly utilitarian, the furniture is indeed the Shaker faith in physical form. In addition to covering the classics--including the ladder-back chair, trestle table, and the built-in--Becksvoort points out subtle variations in design that existed from community to community: the curved, cutout base of a case of drawers was typical for the communities in Ohio, while bevel-edged drawer lips and straight, tapered feet on a blanket box point to the Mount Lebanon community. Becksvoort's intelligent account of the Shakers and their furniture, combined with hundreds of full-color photographs, taken on location at various communities and pulled from archives, make The Shaker Legacy a beautiful tribute to these talented craftsmen and their enduring design. --Stefanie Hargreaves
Book Description
Solid construction and honest functionality make Shaker furniture one of the most popular and timeless design categories. Based on extensive research and personal experience with the last working Shaker community in Maine, this book traces the roots of Shaker design to Shaker belief, which inspired the clean lines, careful craftsmanship, and signature details that define the style. The author also discusses the less known Victorian period of Shaker design and shows how this style has influenced subsequent ones. A bibliography, glossary, and index are included. "As if the content isn't enough, readers will enjoy this book for its clean, upbeat writing. For anyone looking for a primer on the Shaker movement and the furniture it spawned, this is a good selection." - Antique Week Central
Customer Reviews:
Truly excellent.......2005-08-10
This is a truly excellent book that should be on the shelves of all who work with wood, even those of you who, like myself, are not particularly keen on shaker furniture.
The first part of the book overviews the Shakers and their attitudes to working with wood, their seeking of elegant simplistic functional beauty and their enjoyment of the process of working with wood - these are an inspiration to the modern woodworker, all of whom I suspect share the same enjoyment of the process and attention to detail, regardless of their chosen style. The Shakers themselves are quite interesting, and their attitudes of constantly improving and making work easier, more joyful and freeing time for better pursuits than toil are a mantra we all should live by, perhaps. Although the Shakers were very minimalist, I believe many other great craftsmen of the past shared their attitudes and enjoyment of the process of making furniture.
The second part of the book details many fine examples of Shaker furniture. These are great items, well made, well designed, and even if the style is not your preferred one, they still may inspire you.
Note that it is NOT a "how-to" book as another reviewer pointed out, although if you have some skill you could easily reproduce the items in it ? more importantly, be inspired by them.
I have an extraordinary library of woodworking and furniture books covering all styles and all ages and I would definetely recommend this one as being in the top 10% - but I have to stress, it is not a how-to book, look elsewhere if you are looking for that.
Finally, thanks to all the other reviewers here who convinced me to purchase it, I had seen it in the shops before but passed it over (not preferring Shaker style). I will now go tick all your reviews as being helpful.
Did I mention it is absolutely full of colour photos, sidebars of interesting information and very readable and interesting?
Great Reference For Your Bookshelf.......2005-04-25
This book is an interesting and pleasant blending of American history, philosophy, furniture design, and woodworking.
I have read/studied several other books concerning Shaker furniture. This hardcover printing of Mr. Becksvoort's book has, by far, the finest and clearest photography and printing.
A MOST INTERESTING WORK........2004-03-03
I have many books, new and old, on various styles of furniture, their designers, and construction techniques. This was a great addition to my library. I have learned much from it. I appreciate the detail the author went to in this work. It is not your typical lightweight coffee table book, but shows an understanding of, and respect for, the various Shaker communities and their many contributions to our way of life, not the least of which is their beautiful furniture.
The Shaker Legacy.......2004-01-13
Aways had an interest in making Shaker Furniture;and it's origin .Found this Book very formative and informational;enjoyed.
Combines knowledge of the Shakers with solid know-how.......2003-06-21
" author Christian Becksvoort, a contributing editor of Fine Woodworking magazine and an experienced custom furniture maker and restorer who's worked for the last remaining Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, examines the Shakers' faith in relation to their furniture." ~Amazon review
This attractive volume does not attempt to give directions on how to build Shaker style furniture. What it does do, and does it very well, is to describe the philosophy of the Shakers in relation to their work. The book has as its focus the Shaker's most visible and well-known product - their furniture. Each piece in the book was carefully examined by Mr. Becksvoort and photographed by Mr. Sheldon. Some pieces are not available to the public. Construction, finish, and accurate description of each piece distinguish this work. Mr. Becksvoort knows what he is looking at, he has had the privilege of restoring and closely examining the furniture of the Sabbathday Lake, Maine, Shaker Village. What he does not do is tell you how to build each piece. But if you are a clever and intelligent woodworker, perhaps you will be inspired to design your own project with an eye to the timeless design of the Shakers. Take the challenge, inspire yourself!
Book Description
The Shakers wanted their belongings to reflect the simplicity and perfection revered in their religion. Their furniture, with its clean lines and attention to detail, is still the most popular style of furniture more than a century after it was first designed. This book walks readers through a variety of Shaker-inspired projects ranging from beginning to advanced. It provides an overview of hallmark Shaker details, illustrated step-by-step instructions, and a gallery of photographs of successful projects.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book.......2001-03-21
This book covers the design elements and construction of Shaker styled furniture. It also lightly covers the history.
There are several plans, unfortunately not the one on the cover. But, it should not be too hard to take what's in the book and create a plan for it as sizes are given.
Some more plans covering the gallery items, especially the cover item, would have been nice. But, overall it is a really good book.
Book Description
Complete instructions for building your own beautifully simple Shaker-style benches, desks, chairs, cupboards, much more. More than 350 photos and measured drawings. “Moser’s discussion of the building process is unparalleled.”—Popular Woodworking
Customer Reviews:
Not up to snuff.......1999-02-18
I dislike books with misleading titles. This one containes mostly the authors watered down ideas of Shaker furniture. The whole effort is sub-par: poor quality photos, and crude drawings yeild a low quality book. If you want authentic Shaker pieces, try Kassay, Rieman or the new book The Shaker Legacy. Don't waste your money on this one.
Drawings are a highlight.......1998-11-24
In this interesting volume I found the drawings of Shaker furniture by Christian Becksvoort to be excellent. They augment the text by Moser and give it depth.
A wide-ranging discussion of Shaker furniture.......1998-10-25
In this book, Thomas Moser mixes instruction with philosophy, and both are much improved as a result. He lays out the Shaker philosophy early on in an effort to explain Shaker design, and then he shows how to realize the classic Shaker forms in clear, concise hand-drawn illustrations. This book recalls Eric Sloane's similar books about the technologies of early America; it's a must if you're interested in classic American forms.
Essential woodworking text........1998-03-20
This book is superb. Moser writes extremely well, with clarity, precision and an overabiding love for the subject. He is a master craftsman in both wood and words.
The best woodworking book I own..........1997-10-24
Over the years I've collected several woodworking books. I find this book one that I come back to again and again for ideas and inspiration. Unlike most of the project focused books on the subject, Moser communicated the tenants of the craft. He stresses the basics that you need to know to be successful whether it's a bed or a dresser you're building. This book just makes sense. When you combine it with a more technically detailed book like "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" you've pretty much covered the range of "stuff" you need to know. I have friends in Europe and Singapore who have become interested in woodworking. The first book on the subject that I've given to both of them is Mosers. I highly recommend this book.
Average customer rating:
- Good and Complete
- Good and Complete
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Shaker Style
Michael Horsham
Manufacturer: Book Sales
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Shaker Design
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Shaker: Life, Work and Art
ASIN: 0785813004 |
Customer Reviews:
Good and Complete.......2001-07-19
This book is a very pleasing combination of words and pictures. The author spreads the illustrations throughtout the text, drawing the reader into the flow of his thoughts. It is a complete treatment of the Shakers - from their history, their way of life and worship and their enduring legacy to our country. Mr. Horsham acknowledges the existence of a small number of Shakers in the Sabbathday Lake community in Maine which is a pleasant change from many of these type of books. Although the main focus of his work is on the beautiful worksmanship of the Shakers he does a credible job of explaining their theology and the all encompassing effect that theology had on their lifes and work. He also includes information on the spread of the Shakers community as well as the contraction that they experienced as the society around them changed, making their lifestyle less attractive to the "world's people". Definately a good value for the price, enjoyable for the neophyte Shaker enthusiast as well as the more "obsessed" among us.
Good and Complete.......2001-07-19
This book is a very pleasing combination of words and pictures. The author spreads the illustrations throughtout the text, drawing the reader into the flow of his thoughts. It is a complete treatment of the Shakers - from their history, their way of life and worship and their enduring legacy to our country. Mr. Horsham acknowledges the existence of a small number of Shakers in the Sabbathday Lake community in Maine which is a pleasant change from many of these type of books. Although the main focus of his work is on the beautiful worksmanship of the Shakers he does a credible job of explaining their theology and the all encompassing effect that theology had on their lifes and work. He also includes information on the spread of the Shakers community as well as the contraction that they experienced as the society around them changed, making their lifestyle less attractive to the "world's people". Definately a good value for the price, enjoyable for the neophyte Shaker enthusiast as well as the more "obsessed" among us.
Average customer rating:
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Shaker Band Saw Projects
Mark Duginske , and
Chris Morris
Manufacturer: Sterling Pub Co Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0806982489 |
Average customer rating:
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In the Shaker Tradition
Lesley Duvall
Manufacturer: Friedman
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1586631373 |
Book Description
A uniquely American style, Shaker design is extremely popular with homeowners and decorators. Enjoy a tour of warm and comfortable rooms featuring quintessential pieces through stunning full-color photographs presented here. Focus on the way the clean lines, characteristic fine workmanship, and beautiful simplicity of Shaker furnishings add grace to today's homes, and see how Shaker design influenced later furniture makers and craftspeople. The philosophies and religious beliefs offer insights into the purpose and significance behind the aesthetics of their architecture, furnishings, household accessories, and even the colors of their walls and floors. Quality reproductions have made the Shaker style readily available to the public, and this enjoyable volume offers many wonderful suggestions for integrating Shaker pieces with other styles in your design scheme.
Average customer rating:
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Essential Shaker Style (Essential Style)
Tessa Evelegh
Manufacturer: Ward Lock Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Shaker Style
ASIN: 0706374142 |
Book Description
Excellent work by noted authority examines the unique quality of Shaker craftsmanship. Fascinating discussions of sect's origins, their communal villages, deeply religious faith,and other aspects of Shaker life accompany 83 photographs revealing the quiet refinement and functional perfection of Shaker chairs, rockers, candle holders, and many other examples of the sect's handiwork.
Average customer rating:
- Short, but colorful, a nice introduction
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Shaker Home
Raymond Bial
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
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Binding: Hardcover
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Shaker Children: True Stories and Crafts
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Simple Gifts: Lessons in Living from a Shaker Village
ASIN: 0395640474 |
Book Description
Shaker traditions and lifestyle are brought to life through informative text and full-color photographs of authentic homes, furnishings, and handicrafts. The photographs were taken at The Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, a community restored to its original pristine condition. "This handsome volume introduces the traditional Shaker way of life in a thoughtful text and well-composed, full-color photographs." -- Booklist, starred review
Customer Reviews:
Short, but colorful, a nice introduction.......2004-05-06
This wonderful little book is a very nice introduction to the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, the Shakers. Chockfull of bright, colorful pictures, it gives the young reader a glimpse into everyday Shaker life and worship. As you might expect from such a short book (only 26 pages with any sort of text on them) it is nothing more than an introduction. But, with all of the wonderful pictures, it is a nice introduction for readers of any age.
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Classics from the New Yankee Workshop
The New Yankee Workshop
Measure Twice, Cut Once: Lessons from a Master Carpenter
The New Yankee Workshop: Outdoor Projects
Making Authentic Shaker Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics (Furniture Making)
