Best Woodworking Magazine?

[Derek Arita]

I quit all the woodworking magazines a few years ago, but now that I'm back to making sawdust, I'm looking for the best magazine to subscribe to. I like good plans, tool reviews, etc. as I recall, Fine Woodworking was a really nice magazine, but most of the time, it was more lofty than my own skills. I also don't want a magazine that is merely an ad front for a retailer, if you know what I mean.
What is your favorite, all around woodworking magazine?

[Roy Harding]

"Best" is subjective, to say the least. It all depends upon what you're looking for.

I used to subscribe to many magazines, but a few years ago, I cut back to just two:

Shop Notes; and
Woodsmith.

They are both put out by the same people (August Home Publishing). Both publish six issues a year.

Shop Notes is geared more towards shop jigs and methods of work, and Woodsmith is geared more toward finished projects. Although I no longer make a lot of what is featured in these particular magazines, I find that both of them give me enough ideas and new perspectives that they are worth my while. As far as the ads go, neither of these mags carry any advertising - so although I have no idea what is going on behind the scenes, they at least APPEAR to be unbiased.

I dropped all my other subscriptions (including FWW) because I just couldn't justify the expense, compared to what I got out of them. If there is a good article or project, I occasionally buy single issues of those others - but that is fairly rare now. It's also worth noting that there are MANY online sites which include much of the magazine content (FWW comes to mind immediately).

As I said earlier - it all depends upon what you are looking for in a magazine. If there were only one "best", that's the one everybody would subscribe to, and the rest would be out of business.

[dennis thompson]

I have subscribed to many, I now just get Woodsmith and Wood. Woodsmith is my favorite, I have made many projects from their plans.

[Jerry Thompson]

I get about all of them. I am going to let all subscriptions expire except Wood Smith. I have enough old mags. in trunks that looking at them again will spark a project and provide almost new reading.

[Frederick Skelly]

I subscribe to Wood, but I pickup a copy of FWW when I see one on the rack. Definitely more lofty than me too, but gives me something to aspire to. Been thinking about getting Woodsmith too.
Fred

[Mac McQuinn]

When it was all said and done, the old 'Popular Woodworking" was my magazine of choice. That said, I feel most of the current selections are getting a little stale and there's plenty of room for a new option. Perhaps something dialed in for the real woodworking hobbyist out in the garage who's more interested in safety, basic & intermediate skills and using, maintaining and improving hand tools and affordable power tools.
Mac

[Stephen Cherry]

fine woodworking, in the 90's and earlier.

[Joe Shinall]

Wood, Woodsmith, and Shopnotes are my fav. I'm not a big fan of FWW or Popular Woodworking. I subscribed to all of them about 2 years ago and once I had to renew just stuck with my first 3 listed.

[Peter Aeschliman]

Obviously it's all opinion.... Fine Woodworking is by far my favorite. The publication quality is fantastic, and the mix of hand tools and machinery keeps me interested. I learn something every time I read it, even if the projects are above my skill level.

Wood, Woodsmith, etc seem like the same thing over and over. Adirondack chair plans, nicknacks, and obscure shop tips.

I've never built a project usign somebody else's plans- I personally find that boring, although I certainly wouldn't argue with others who find it fun. I always skip the plans and instead like reading about techniques- things I can learn from.

Again, just a matter of opinion.

[Gordon Eyre]

I have subscribed to Woodsmith for many years and have built a number of projects from its pages. I like the fact that they do not have any advertisements.

[HANK METZ]

It’s no secret among the top publishers that they basically rerun their projects after about 5 years or so, with just a little updating. In the industry it’s called “revisiting”, in our world it’s called repeating, but if one is new to the craft then it’s all new stuff to them. If you can find someone who wants to sell back issue collections for cheap, that’s a good way to build up a library.



- Beachside Hank
Improvise, adapt, overcome; the essence of true craftsmanship.

[Rick Thom]

Some might prefer on-line to hard copy. I don't know if one is better or worse than the others as far as their 'deal' is concerned or how they present their content on-line.

[John Conklin]

Over the years I gotten just about all of them. I have all FWW going back to about #12 I think. Currently I receive FWW and Wood. Occasionally I pick up one of the others off the newsstand.

[Brian Tymchak]

I currently hold FWW and PWW as my favorites as they are doing some of the more advanced projects compared to the other mags. FWW also showcases some works from professionals and I enjoy seeing the "state of the art" so-to-speak. Even though I'm just a hobbyist wooodworker ( and lately not even time for that.. ) those kinds of projects have more interest for me than reading about building adirondack chairs for it seems like the 100th time. I also like ShopSmith because it is oriented at working in the shop and I get a good idea from there occasionally.

[bob cohen]

I've gotten them all the years. When I started out, Wood and Shopnotes were my favorites. They have doable projects for the beginner and lots of general tips. As my work as progressed, I find less value in them, although they and others of that ilk have good tool reviews from time to time. I currently only subscribe to FWW and PWW. I think they are both excellent and would not consider giving up either. PWW, especially, has really improved over the best several years.