Review of 'The Man Who Made Things Out of Trees' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
What a fascinating read, just like Robert Penn and his Ash tree I got so much from this book. Penn one day decides to find the perfect ash tree, chop it down and see how many things he can make from it. Each chapter is based around an item being made, from Axe handles, to bowls, and even a deadly arrow. In the chapter you find out the history of how ash wood has been used to make that product, a history of it's use, how it is made and the person who Penn has located to make it. So many interesting little things to learn about.
My favourite part of the book has to be Robin Wood and his bowl making, he uses a pole lathe, no electric lathe with CNC programming or big kilns for drying the wood, this is all done with man power. I've seen a …
What a fascinating read, just like Robert Penn and his Ash tree I got so much from this book. Penn one day decides to find the perfect ash tree, chop it down and see how many things he can make from it. Each chapter is based around an item being made, from Axe handles, to bowls, and even a deadly arrow. In the chapter you find out the history of how ash wood has been used to make that product, a history of it's use, how it is made and the person who Penn has located to make it. So many interesting little things to learn about.
My favourite part of the book has to be Robin Wood and his bowl making, he uses a pole lathe, no electric lathe with CNC programming or big kilns for drying the wood, this is all done with man power. I've seen a pole lathe in action before and it is mesmerising, the fact that the wood worker can't see what he is doing as the wood turns and yet somehow create something smooth and beautiful is insane, I own a Spurtle (porridge stirrer) that was made on a pole lathe and it is a thing of beauty.
I liked how much respect Penn had for the tree, he takes the time to pick the right one, he feels the guilt about cutting it down and promises the tree it will not be wasted and looking at the list of items at the end of the book he kept his end of the bargain. He also makes sure that some of the tree (the brash) is left behind to rot down for local insects, he also goes back a couple of years later to check on things which was a nice addition to the book.
I do have a couple of issues with the book, 1: the title, Penn doesn't actually make anything out of the tree, I think it should be called the PEOPLE who made things out of trees. 2: it is hard to picture a few of the items being made, especially the desk, luckily Penn has many pictures and more information on his website, it is really worthwhile checking it out HERE, great to have a read if you are deciding whether this book is for you or not.
This was an excellent book, I enjoyed every page of it and goes onto my list of books to recommend to everybody.
Blog review: felcherman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/the-man-who-made-things-out-of-trees-by-robert-penn/