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We just received our copies of “Spons on Carpentry & Joinery,”
a 274-page reprint of an important 19th-century woodworking book. My
vintage copy of Spons has always been one of the book at my right hand,
but there was something I didn’t like about it.
The typeface is tiny. And the pages were yellowed.
So
when we decided to reprint this book, we had our scanning vendor make
our scans at an extra-fine resolution so we could enlarge the text. And
we printed it on the brightest paper we could afford.
As a
result, the original size of the pages in Spons (5-1/2″ x 8-1/4″) has
now been enlarged to 7″ x 10″ for our new edition. That is a significant
difference. Heck, even if we don’t sell a single copy of this book, I’m
happy. Because now I can read Spons without squinting.
Is this book worth reading? Absolutely.
It’s
like an encyclopedia of 19th-century knowledge on hand tools. Want to
know about the different kinds of oilstones? It’s in there. How to shape
the edge of an axe? Eleven ways to prevent rust? How to make a
wheelbarrow and a chicken coop? How to use a “crotch punch” to set saw
teeth? Want to see drawings of 24 kinds of nails?
This is your book.
Spons is available in our store for $21.99. Click here to visit the store.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S.
We are aware that several editions of this book are available through
Google Books. We don’t like reading books on screen. It’s also difficult
to balance the laptop on your knees in the “office.” Hence, this
reprint.
