“Woodwork” Magazine Discontinued
Apparently, our hobby lost a great magazine this month.
“Woodwork” magazine, had been sold during 2008 to a new owner, and issued an excellent just-like-old-times “new” issue under its new owner a few months ago…but , NOW it is fully dead. A letter from the publisher indicates that unforeseen problems have occurred, and that the recently restarted publication has been permanently discontinued.
The letter further stated that my paid-up subscription to “Woodwork” has been converted to “American Woodworker” , a sister publication of the parent company. Yuck…
Woodwork had personality and depth of content. It was unique and worthwhile, and had content for woodworkers of all levels and styles. American Woodworker is an also-ran at best, and clearly targeted at beginning woodworkers. Not at all an equal substitution. Oh well, my subscription will run out soon. I’ll give it an issue or two to see if it improves or is influenced by the old Woodwork.
Over the years, I have subscribed to basically all of the major woodworking magazines and I have developed definite favorites.
Hands down, my favorite is Woodworking Magazine. No advertising, great content. Worth every penny.
Woodworking Magazine’s sister publication “Popular Woodworking“, is my second favorite. By far the best of the “general” woodworking magazines.
A distant third is “Fine Woodworking“…it is a very good publication, but seems to me to have lost its personality in recent years. It is a bit too polished, a bit too Martha-Stewart-perfect. It seems almost formulaic to me. But, I still like it, and learn from it.
All of the rest of the mainstream woodworking magazines, are only OK at best. I still get several of them, but usually can read them cover to cover in under an hour.
Posted on May 7, 2009, in Books and Magazines, Woodworking. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
I also miss Woodwork. My subscription never transferred over, apparently it ran out just as the sale was taking place, and the new publisher never bothered to send a renewal notice.
Sounds like I’m just as happy they didn’t, but it would be nice to have the old magazine back.
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I noticed this happening to other niche magazines, like a motorcycle magazine I read recently quit doing a Harley-Davidson only magazine and started concentrating on all motorcycles in one magazine.
Myself, I’m finding less and less use for magazines. When I can get a huge number of woodworking projects for less than the cost of years subscription to a magazine, it makes me think twice about subscribing.
Hi Matthew,
Are you aware that Woodwork is back? It’s now just an annual publication, but hopefully that will change. The last issue was “Winter 2010″ and the next issue will be released in November.
Woodwork is by far my favourite magazine and I’m grateful that it is still in print, even if only once a year. I have all the back issues to read through still.
I didn’t know that. I’ll check it out.
Thanks for the tip!
Oh, by the way, there will be an article by Darrell Peart (noted Greene & Greene furniture maker) in the next issue of Woodwork. I noticed you’ve made a Greene and Greene desk.
I just ordered the 2010 issue based on your tip.
Thanks!
Matt
Glad I could help. Hopefully, enough of us will become aware and Woodwork will come back into regular print.