Customer Reviews

Measure Twice, Cut Once: Lessons from a Master Carpenter

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When my wife first bought it for me I did not know what to think of it. But once I started reading it I could not put it down. And I kept going back to it. Norm offers a great insight into tools I have used and never really thought much about. One can tell immediately for example when he talks about framing squares (why a quality one is hard to find)that he has the experience you should listen to and heed. Having lost my father a year before his dad passed away, I found a lot in common with his feelings. I did take notes and reread it 8 times. Norm impressed me with how much he really knows about tools. And his experience in using them day after day, year after year taught me how much I have to go inorder to be called a Master Carpenter.

I was wary of this little book at first. Little inspirational volumes are popping up everywhere, and are usually less than inspiring, and far less than useful (there is a plague of these in recent fishing literature).

Norm Abram's book is different. This is inspiration, yankee carpenter style. Abram discusses hand tools in a fair amount of detail, with some notes on proper use, level of efficiency, and personal preferences. A small smattering of stories about his father and his childhood experience doesn't detract from the practicality of all this; instead, Abram manages to show the roots of his profound knowledge, presumably leading us down the path of agreeing with his choices in an area where agreement can be difficult to reach.

I am a novice carpenter at best. In fact, that's probably overly generous, but I can say with some confidence that any beginner will benefit from Abram's take on the evolution and utility of hand tools. But I'd also go so far as to say that even more experienced carpenters would enjoy this book. It's a rare opportunity to learn, from a master, some of the details about everyday tools that even experienced users might not be aware of.

This book not only gives a novice tips on what tools to own and why, but also provides insight into how a craftsman chooses his tools, the importance of choosing quality tools, and how those tools help make the craftsmen what he is. Norm is a craftsman who appreciates good tools, and the tools discussed in this book are among the most basic tools any carpenter should own. This book will help explain why.

While it wasn't the technical treatise I had expected (and hoped for), it still was an enjoyable book to read. I spent the better part of a rainy Saturday absorbing the information it presented. The book is written in a manner that echoes Norm's own admitted style of learning: less lecture and more watching and listening. It presented useful tips and "secrets" in an easy to read and enjoy format. This book was written as a memorial to Norm's father, from whom his lifelong love of carpentry has come. It is a fitting tribute to the skills of both men, and I would recommend it for all but the strictest purists.

I originally bought this book just because Norm Abrams wrote it and I am a big fan of THIS OLD HOUSE and THE NEW YANKEE WORKSHOP.But, it is an engaging read and one I find myself going..."ahhhhhhhhhh" or "ahhhhhhhh, hahhhhhhhhhh!" to. Add it to your "toolbox." It will help you be better at whatever you do.

Makes a great gift too to recognize members of your workgroup, fellow fans of Norm, and those you would like to gently influence.

Norm Abram is the much admired and even beloved host of the PBS show New Yankee Workshop and a longtime fixture on This Old House. In Measure Twice, Cut Once, we get a peek inside Norm's extensive toolbox, as Norm simply talks tools -- his likes, his dislikes, and, of course, more than a few helpful tips.

Norm has a reputation for loving power tools but in Measure Twice, Cut Once he focuses on his favorite hand tools. His knowledge is impressive as he covers a wide spectrum of hand tools -- folding rules, tape measures, chalk boxes, squares, levels, plumb bobs, saws, planes, knives, screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, hammers, crowbars and chisels. Norm's favorite tool is the right tool, be it a power tool or a hand tool -- whatever is best for the job at hand.

I read somewhere that Norm wrote most of this book by dictating it into a recorder as he drove to and from various job sites. It shows -- the book is loose and conversational and Norm even gets a little personal. He talks a great deal about his father, who died shortly after this book was finished. The connection between Norm and his father through carpentry is heartfelt and it's nice to see this personal side of Norm.

Norm knows that carpenters are taught some skills and that they learn other skills through personal experience, but he believes that all of it should be passed on to others, just as he learned from his father. The craft and skill of carpentry naturally passes from one generation to the next and so on. That's what Norm tries to do through his TV shows and through books like Measure Twice, Cut Once. He isn't trying to impress you or overwhelm you. He just wants you to put this knowledge to work.

are woodworkers the target audience? no. this book is explicitly about carpentry, so it's not geared towards the legions of folks who know norm abram through his popular woodworking series on pbs. fair enough.

carpenters? not really. norm does a great job describing the physical shape of just about every basic hand tool you can imagine, and how to hold it and use it. but if you've ever worked with--or even seen--the tools, you don't need to imagine them, and you're pretty aware that their use is not complicated. there are a few clever tips, but most of the information should be second nature to any carpenter. for instance, norm spends several pages--actually several mini-chapters of the book--describing how to snap chalk lines effectively. granted, this is an important procedure, but it's definitely not complex.

would-be carpenters? maybe. let's be honest and admit that the basics of a practical craft like carpentry cannot be learned from a book describing tools and how to wield them. having said that, norm's experience certainly informs a good tip or two about which tools to choose, or how to find the telltale signs of quality toolmaking. if nothing else, this focus on hand tools proves that norm's famed preference for pricey power tools was engendered by many hours of working without them. he's a trustworthy fellow, and the book offers his advice up in spades; it's a simple distillation of years of hands-on work by a straight-talking carpenter. eager carpentry hobbyists looking for a quick read will find it an entertaining, if not particularly illuminating, read.

I'd certainly agree that too much time was spent describing the appearance of each tool when a picture would suffice but for a new or novice user a description of the usage of each tool and the pros and cons of variations was interesting. This book is such a short read I'd recommend it to anyone getting started.

This book is great for both the occasional and experienced carpenter. It tells which tools you need to put a carpenter's box together as well as how to use these tools. Norm's stories and anecdotes regarding the tools are a real treat. His style of writing is plain, personal and understandable. This book is very informative and fun to read. It could easily be used as a reference if an index was provided.

Norm is not exactly outgoing, we know this from his early years as Bob V.'s master carpenter. But just as the producers of that show saw something in what he does with his hands (and not his words), we all saw it on the NYWS series on PBS. I've seen all 260 project episodes and regret it's off the air.

Now, any new little tidbit we can get from him is coveted. This book is not the expansive lexicon of carpentry techniques as it claims (see other reviews), but it's also a quick read and a litte more Norm than we had before. Buy it used and donate it to a library or pass on to another woodworker.

It's not as bad as some say, nor is it as good. Good for a cold rainy day when you can't get out to the shop.

Any treatise on woodworking is worth reading - once.