Customer Reviews

Foxfire 6 : shoemaking, gourd banjos, and songbows, one hundred toys and games, wooden locks, a water powered sawmill, and other affairs of just plain living

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're interested in how people did things before Wal-mart, you might want to check out Foxfire 6, as well as the rest of the Foxfire series of books (1-10)... These focus on Appalachian living, and how Appalachian folks did things before moderization. These are the only books I know of that truly show you hands on ways to make instruments, locks, dig a well, make toys, and even cook a good meal--- simply. Another good thing is that even though they are very complete, they are actually pretty interesting to read. Most survival-type books are focused on all sorts of weird Armageddon/nuclear war stuff, but these are just records of how life used to be. All in all, a worthy purchase for anyone interested in actually learning something.

This work, Volume VI, is like the others. A wonderful history of how it was. In this day and age of having most needs meet and something for everyone on the Wal-mart shelf, we tend to forget just what it was like in our not too distant past. These books, the Foxfire books, brings to light skills, attitudes and a way of life that is all but forgotten. This is a good thing. When a people lose their history, they lose part of their soul. As the title of this work states, from shoemaking to toys, to games and musical instruments, this addresses many of the old forgotten skills and there is so much more. The editors have done a wonderful job. They have made a very honest effort to replicate the dialect of those places and times and I feel that this is a big part of the charm of these books. I am old enough to have known many of the kinds of folks featured in these books, being only one generation past them, and have a great appreciation for what and how they did all the little things we take so for granted now. I might also suggest that you actually try some of the things mentioned in these volumes. It will give you even more of an appreciation for what they did, and hey, who knows, the skill you develope just might come in handy one of these days! Recommend this and the other Foxfire books highly.

These books are very interesting and full of knoweledge from our past history. My relatives were from the deep south especialy around the Roam Mountain area;this is where my grandmother and grandfather were from. This information let me know what they went thru doing their life. The Garlands and The Hughes. Thanks again.Gettysburg,Pa.

The firefox series continues to amaze me with it's simplicity and beautiful documentation of the Mountain life style. The other lesson is that we all need to pass forward what we have learned and loved to the next generation and the next and the next ... Picking up the earlier FF books is well worthwhile, every one a jewel.

It's a book...what else can you say. I won't begin to fritter away space by reviewing it's content. (But...it's great!)
It arrived in excellent condition, and in a timely manner.

The Foxfire Project is momentious and if you notice you are missing one or three in the set, having loaned them, it's wise to replace these missing gems of mountain pioneering and lossed skills. Mighty fine reading next to the bed.

shipped within 3 days, packaged very well, product as expected, and I would buy from again.