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Sitting here writing this in July of 2025, I think it’s safe to say that the world is in an interesting state. There are plenty of issues at hand that may or may not affect you. So, is it just a coincidence that the October issue of the magazine has some (roundabout) reach outside North America? It wasn’t planned that way, but I don’t really believe in coincidences.
As you thumb through this issue (or check it out digitally if you’re a PW+ member), one of the articles offers an inside look at tool manufacturing in China. The photo above is of myself and two of my travel companions on the trip to visit the manufacturer. It’s probably not what you expect—at least, it wasn’t what I anticipated. I have gained a newfound respect and appreciation for the manufacturing industry in Asia.
Later on, you’ll find several projects. One of them is a set of church doors that I built for a local Serbian Orthodox church. We have a community of people that immigrated from the former Yugoslavia, and a friend of mine is part of that community. Several months ago, he asked me for help in building a set of doors for his church, which has about 15-20 regular attendees. They couldn’t afford to replace the doors on their church, built in the 1850s! The best way I could find time to build those doors was to present it as a project to share with you. The church was incredibly grateful, and I got “paid” in amazing Serbian food. I think it serves as a great reminder that we’re all in this together, and there’s always an opportunity to do the good. Cheers!
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
