My First Class in England
My first hands-on workshop in England proper took place at the Wood Centre in Long Wittenham Oxfordshire last Friday and Saturday. It’s been just a year since my last workshop in Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, the former temporary home of New Legacy School of Woodworking, because of our relocating to England. It was impressive that all of our careful planning came together on time for the 9am start; I mean fire lit, kettle boiling, tools sharpened, benches set and floor mats down. 80 chisels pristinely sharp and polished out to 10,000, 40 saws hand-filed to impeccable sharpness by yours truly, spokeshaves and planes completed too. 
Working towards this point over the past 10 months since moving south has been yet one more period of growth for me. Creating videography and all that that entails has enabled us to develop the vision we have. When I wrote my latest book Essential Woodworking Hand Tools, and then too produced the video series to accompany it, I wrote in the introduction that this was the book that’s never been written—meaning that very few books have actually been written about hand tools purely from a working man’s background as an artisan. Most likely such crafting artisans past (pre-digital and media age) would never have had the opportunity nor the inclination. In some ways I feel as though I was the last in a line in that I apprenticed with men who indeed used hand tools for a lifetime too. Most of the apprentices I worked alongside in my youth and then those that followed embraced using machines and commercial methods. This led to a generation that eschewed hand methods for several decades. The hole that they left meant the ensuing generations were left out and forgotten. Would-be woodworkers, overly influenced for several decades by the power of downsized machinery of this post-war era, lost the balance between machine and hand methods that works so favourably for those disinclined to full-on commerce. With schools and colleges doing the same, and I mean giving something of more a token nod to past methods, training future woodworkers has mainly become the means by which induction into the channels of industry take place. So we see people are no longer trained for craft and artisanry as such. 
Of course the class was a wonderful opportunity to help and guide others in taking the essential steps towards future craftsmanship. More than that, I do feel invigorated by having people come into my creative space. I am looking forward to the next two classes coming up. Both are full and people are waiting for more hands-on workshops next year, but we are all doing what we can.
Hi there from Portugal,
Q: What is the back thing under the feet?
Obrigado(thanks)
Just interlocking mats for safety and dropped tools to prevent damage on concrete.
Paul,
I had heard (though never confirmed myself) that Japan designates some of their craftsman (was in the context of samurai sword making) as national treasures. This allows for some government funding to ensure that they can continue to do their work and train the next generation. More countries should do this. So that these various craftsmanship arts aren’t lost.
I hear of such things with some countries but I don’t know if it’s true. If you listen to British politicians they too will say we are now apprenticing again but apprenticing has mostly lost its meaning because this does not mean what we might assume it to mean at all. The largest apprenticer in the UK a short time ago was the supermarket chain Morrisons. You can guess what their apprenticing meant.
I served a three year apprenticeship (1972-75) with Post Office Telephones (later to become BT). In 2013, I was 57, BT management “encouraged” our office team to embark on an in-house BTEC course, Failure to enrol would apparently affect our future prospects. The course included IT skills, maths and english and they called it, wait for it, an “Apprenticeship”. The course was quite challenging as it happens, but apprenticeship? Obviously a nonsense and a misuse of the term. Made me chuckle though to be able to describe myself as apprentice again!
Having been a huge fan and follower of your work for several years now Paul I feel somewhat safe in commenting on this line from your post “As we gathered around my workbench I confess feeling something a tad more than just a buzz around me. I’m reminded that others revere what I might take more for granted because I see it reflected in their eyes. They carry a sense of reverence and admiration for the tools…” in that I think that “reverence and admiration” you felt was most certainly at least as much for you yourself as it was for the tools. Some day I’ll make it across the pond to be in one of those classes myself, and, I know for a fact as I think about this, it will take me a few minutes to get over the fact I am standing next to THE Paul Sellers and learning from him! Hopefully you’ll take that with all the respect it was intended …maybe some of those in that class can chime in here and comment on my assumption? Thank you so much for what you do.
Having been lucky enough to be one of those that attended, I just wanted to express my thanks for these two days.
Despite having done (a little) of many of the topics covered in the course I still found it invaluable. The hands-on nature of the training highlighted subtitles of technique that I’d missed, and getting direct input from Paul (and Phil) on how to overcome specific issues you’re seeing at the bench was hugely useful.
Being able to try chisels and planes that had been properly sharpened has given me confidence that my own sharpening skills are acceptable, and using the school’s saws showed me that I’ve never used a decent saw before! It also highlighted the fact I need to significantly improve my hand sawing skills.
In short then, I’d highly recommend the course – even for those that feel they’ve cracked many of the basics; there’s always more to learn.
(that should be “subtleties of technique”)
Great work! Must admit I miss the backdrop of the castle workshop, it must of been an incredible place for a workspace and to teach from.
This must be what Heaven looks like.
I too was one of the lucky ones on the course, and I must say that I found it incredibly useful and fulfilling.
I echo what Gordon notes above: it was extremely useful to compare the sharpness of my tools to the ones in the school, and to be able to ask questions of Paul and Phil as I worked on the various tasks across the two days.
It was though, quite surreal. I found myself many times slipping into a “watching YouTube” frame of mind, and it struck me over and over again that I was actually sat in front of Paul’s bench, watching Paul work, and not sat at my desk watching a video!!!
I learned a lot from the course, and have applied what I learned back at home. I have, after several attempts, now cut a nice, tight mortice and tenon joint, and have a couple of really sharp saws saved from the scrap heap.
If you ever get the chance to go on one of Paul’s courses, go for it, you won’t regret it.
Hi Darren!
Congrats on the saws. I’ve just picked up the 14tpi Veritas dovetail saw and it’s a revelation compared to my nasty plastic handled carpenter’s saw. I do need to get around to sharpening an old tenon saw I have though.
The “watching YouTube” feeling was indeed a bit odd at first; I suppose that’s a compliment to the quality of the team’s filming and video production. Being able to move and look from a different angle while Paul was sharpening a plane iron was one of the epiphany moments for me – as I realised I’d been presenting the iron to the stone in a slightly different way. Not a massive deal, but it’s much easier doing it Paul’s way.
I’m not going to suggest to Phil that they should start shooting 3D video though!
I was one of the lucky participants as well, and I want to express my deepest thanks to Paul and his team for this fantastic workshop. I was amazed how quickly those 2 days went by – I would have loved to stay longer.
It was indeed an amazing experience, and seeing first hand how Paul is working with the wood gave me a different perspective on woodworking. I think that true wood”working” can only be done by hand and not by machines. This experience fundamentally changed my perspective and has inspired me to further improve my sharpening, sawing and chiseling skills.
Thank you Paul !
Paul,
Will you ever make a trip back to the states for a week or weekend of training?
My 13 year old grandson proudly told me tonight that’s his finger joint was ” best in the class” and the teacher said “your grandad will be pleased with that”
So looking forward to his next visit to my garage workshop, so he can demonstrate to me……..how wonderful is that?
PS looking forward to your saw sharpening blog Paul ??