Customer Reviews

Man Crafts: Leather Tooling, Fly Tying, Ax Whittling, and Other Cool Things to Do (Popular Mechanics)

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

 

 

Man Crafts from Popular Mechanics This little book is a delightful visit to the past, with skills still popular and interesting for today. When men returned from World War II, in which they had learned how to make things they needed, continued using the skills they had gained to create new businesses or as hobbies. This book, which shows the beginning of the Baby Boom era, is not only nostalgic but also teaches skills which men and boys (women too) will enjoy in spare time today. These skills can create or restore household items, utilitarian or for decoration, and interesting gifts. The activities can become fun hobbies, especially for parent and child to do together. In these tough times some of these skills could become a business for the industrious who enjoy working with their hands. The book covers these skills: saw carpentry, leathercraft, bookbinding, block printing, axe craft, tin can craft, braiding and knotting, fly-tying, cartooning, and hand lettering.

This is an interesting little book with some broad information. Probably better suited for a boy scout than an adult.

I ordered this book as a stocking stuffer gift for a friend who has an adventurous 10-year old daughter who loves to keep busy on their ranch. He is also quite handy himself. They both thought it was a very cool book as she likes making things almost as he. I also bought one for myself and it really does have some interesting projects. How cool would it be to "Ax Whittle" something up for one of your friends! LOL Put one on your coffee table and see your friends start wondering about you... :-)
Ordering and delivery was perfect as usual. I've very happy with the book and the service.

It's pretty good, the extent of the book is listed on ze interwebz, so no need to go into it here. I found it enlightening, and I'm ashamed to say I haven't started any of the projects; that said, there's nothing but my own laziness stopping me. The book is as clear and concise as the the 50's these knowledge manuals were taken from. If you have ambitious plans for homemade whateverz, get it, it's quite worth it.

Hope everyone gets as great a service as we did from the dealer from whom we bought the book (thru Amazon of course). The parcel arrived much faster than we expected, and was in really great shape just as she had described it.
Thanks

This book was a disappointment. I expected a bit more detail from Popular Mechanics but this book did not deliver.

Nice little book about making things.Kind of neat how they tell you to be able to have a hobbie or small business.

I gave this as a gift so I cannot comment on it other than to say the recipient seemed pleased with it.