Lost Art Press

Lost Art Press Teaching woodworking techniques through publication of quality books and videos He is now a contributing editor to that magazine. Ever. Just like you.

Founded in 2007, Lost Art Press is a small Midwestern publishing company that seeks to help the modern woodworker learn traditional hand-tool skills. Since World War II, traditional and effective hand skills have disappeared from the home, professional and school woodshops in North America. Those quickly disappearing hand skills have been replaced by a reliance on machine work, even when it is les

s effective, slower or sloppier. The founders of Lost Art Press – Christopher Schwarz and John Hoffman – are trying to restore the balance between hand and machine work by unearthing the so-called "lost arts" of hand skills and explaining how they can be integrated with the machinery in the modern shop to help produce furniture that is crisp, well-proportioned, stout and quickly made. Christopher Schwarz is the former editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine, where he worked between 1996 and 2011. Chris lives in Northern Kentucky. John Hoffman is an enthusiastic home woodworker and lives outside Indianapolis. We pride ourselves on being a company that you can trust. We will never sell or share your personal information with anyone else. We do not accept gifts of free tools from manufacturers or catalogers. When we recommend a tool – in our books or on our blog – we have paid full retail for it.

Our storefront and order fulfillment operation will be closed until Friday, January 2.
12/26/2025

Our storefront and order fulfillment operation will be closed until Friday, January 2.

After 22 years of making stick chairs, I’m returning back to where I started in 2003 under David Fleming. This seat is s...
12/20/2025

After 22 years of making stick chairs, I’m returning back to where I started in 2003 under David Fleming. This seat is saddled like one of his chairs — considerably deeper in the bowl than mine.

My next chair will use the arm construction Fleming taught me, which I haven’t used in ages.

Sometimes simply reviewing where you’ve been pushes your work forward.

I’ve been experimenting with making my own glazes with purified linseed oil and pigments. This is carbon black and an or...
12/14/2025

I’ve been experimenting with making my own glazes with purified linseed oil and pigments. This is carbon black and an orange-red. After the oil polymerizes (about two weeks), the pigment is locked in the oil. Then I apply soft wax over it.

The slow drying time allows me to manipulate the amount of pigment on every surface and get the look I want.

Final class at our workshop. It’s building a Dutch tool chest with six students. We will see y’all on the road in 2026.
12/13/2025

Final class at our workshop. It’s building a Dutch tool chest with six students.

We will see y’all on the road in 2026.

Rudy Evert’s () gorgeous relief carving of our building on Madison Avenue. Rudy captured all of the building’s Neoclassi...
12/12/2025

Rudy Evert’s () gorgeous relief carving of our building on Madison Avenue. Rudy captured all of the building’s Neoclassical details, right down to the A in the keystone.

The carving is on display in our storefront.

I got our No. 77 set up to make perfect sticks and tenons (see second slide). The trick: sharpening (duh), feeds+speeds ...
12/10/2025

I got our No. 77 set up to make perfect sticks and tenons (see second slide). The trick: sharpening (duh), feeds+speeds (double duh) and l**e.

What got cut off … CS: “pull it out.” MF & CS simultaneously: “that’s what she said”
12/08/2025

What got cut off … CS: “pull it out.” MF & CS simultaneously: “that’s what she said”

Just finished up this Lincolnshire Windsor in oak, elm and honey locust. The finish is in soft wax. Bringing this design...
12/07/2025

Just finished up this Lincolnshire Windsor in oak, elm and honey locust. The finish is in soft wax.

Bringing this design back to life was a years-long process. Thanks to John Porritt () who showed me the chair and got me in to measure my first one. Plus Julian Parker () and William Sergeant of the Regional Furniture Society who have been researching this form for many years and allowed me to measure three more.

Complete plans will be in the third issue of The Stick Chair Journal, coming in January. Paid subscribers to my American Peasant substack already have access to the plans and full size patterns.

Some people see faces everywhere. I see trees. Because they are everywhere.
12/05/2025

Some people see faces everywhere.

I see trees.

Because they are everywhere.

Gettin’ hot & steamy here this week
12/03/2025

Gettin’ hot & steamy here this week

Address

407 Madison Avenue
Covington, KY
41011

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Lost Art Press posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Lost Art Press:

Shortcuts

Share

Category