Artisan Ideas – förlag

Antler Knife: Making a Sami-Style Knife Handle and Sheath by Ulf Avander offers an in-depth look into one of northern Scandinavia’s most distinctive traditional crafts. Drawing on more than five decades of experience, Avander guides readers through the complete process of making a Sami-style knife, from selecting reindeer antler and hardwood to shaping, assembling, and finishing both handle and sheath.Each stage is illustrated with 208 clear, full-colour photographs and detailed drawings that show the tools, materials, and techniques involved. The author explains how to work safely and effectively with antler—knowledge rarely documented in such detail—and offers guidance on leather selection, tanning, softening, and decoration. Supplementary sections cover curly-grained woods, bark work, and methods for achieving authentic Nordic finishes.The book also includes a bonus project: how to make a traditional Kosa (a wooden drinking vessel), expanding the reader’s understanding of Sami design principles and craftsmanship. Avander’s text balances technical instruction with insight into the heritage and cultural context of northern Sweden’s knife-making tradition.Produced in hardcover (25.5 × 18 × 1.3 cm), this 112-page volume is both practical and visually rich, serving as an instructional guide and a celebration of a living craft.Highly praised by reviewers and professional makers alike, Antler Knife is considered one of the most comprehensive and inspiring manuals on Scandinavian knife making available today. It is ideal for knifemakers, leatherworkers, blacksmiths, and craftspeople who wish to develop their skills or explore the enduring artistry of Sami design.

The essential follow-up to Basic Wax Modeling, Practical Wax Modeling: Advanced Techniques for Wax Modelers takes jewelry makers deeper into the professional techniques of lost wax design and casting.Through 385 clear step-by-step photographs and diagrams, this 160-page hardcover book demonstrates advanced wax modeling methods for creating rings, brooches, pendants, and more. Organized for practical bench use, it offers guidance on both hard and soft waxes, texturing, gemstone setting in wax, and the Japanese Mitsuro hikime process—a rare technique for achieving beautifully striated surfaces. Readers also learn professional approaches to mold making, casting, and post-cast finishing.Some key features include:Detailed projects demonstrating advanced carving and construction in hard and soft wax.Instructions for making and using Mitsuro, a traditional Japanese modeling wax.Professional texture and surface techniques for unique design finishes.Clear methodology for preparing, casting, and finishing jewelry forms.As noted by metalsmith and educator Charles Lewton-Brain, the text is “clear and well organized, with large, excellent photographs illustrating each stage.” The book is structured as an applied progression from Basic Wax Modeling, but it also stands alone as a comprehensive reference for advanced wax modelers.Rich with visual instruction and professional insight, Practical Wax Modeling is invaluable for jewelers, sculptors, teachers, and students of metal arts who seek precision and creative control in their casting process.Beautifully printed in hardcover (160 pages, 24 × 17 cm), this book remains one of the most respected technical manuals in the jewelry field, bridging the gap between craft practice and fine art metalwork.

Basic Wax Modeling: An Adventure in Creativity by Hiroshi Tsuyuki is an essential foundation text in the art of jewelry wax modeling and lost-wax casting. Revered by jewelry educators worldwide and used as a core textbook at the Jewelry Studies Institute in Tokyo, the book offers a structured and highly visual introduction to one of jewelry design’s most enduring techniques.Across eleven step-by-step projects, Tsuyuki demonstrates how to use the various wax types, tools, and modeling approaches essential to creating professional-quality rings, pendants, and brooches. Each project is accompanied by precise explanations, detailed process photos, and clear supplementary drawings that guide learners from beginner to intermediate skill level. The author’s approach ensures that by completing each exercise, readers will understand both the artistic and technical aspects of jewelry design.The book also includes a comprehensive appendix with five useful reference charts: ring sizes, plate and wire gauge comparisons, weight conversions, millimetre–inch conversion, and diamond carat-to-diameter relationships—resources highly valued by professional jewellers and students alike.Originally published in 1985 and now available in a revised hardcover edition (112 pages, 283 black-and-white illustrations), Basic Wax Modeling remains the definitive introduction to jewelry wax modeling. The text was written in collaboration with The Japan Jewelry Craft School, ensuring linguistic clarity and technical precision for international readers.Praised by professionals and instructors for its clarity and practicality, this book continues to be an indispensable resource for jewellery design programmes, studios, and individual artisans seeking mastery of wax modeling and casting techniques.

Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages by Vincent J.M. Eras remains the most authoritative and engaging history of locks ever published. Originally issued in 1957 by the director of the Lips Safe and Lock Manufacturing Company—one of Europe’s foremost lock producers—this landmark volume traces the evolution of locking mechanisms from ancient wooden devices to the complex time locks of the modern industrial era.Across 184 pages and 284 black-and-white photographs and technical drawings, Eras presents a sweeping visual and textual survey based largely on the renowned Lips Collection and supplemented by rare examples from private and museum holdings across Europe. Each chapter blends historical narrative with precise mechanical explanation, revealing how artistry, metallurgy, and security advanced together through successive periods—from Roman ingenuity and medieval craftsmanship to Renaissance ornamentation and nineteenth-century industrial precision.A master locksmith with more than fifty-eight years of professional experience, Eras combines scholarly depth with a craftsman’s insight. His writing captures both the functional evolution and the aesthetic refinement of locks and keys as expressions of human ingenuity.This high-quality hardcover reprint—produced by special arrangement with ASSA ABLOY—features completely reset typography and digitally corrected images, resulting in sharper photographs and enhanced legibility while faithfully preserving the integrity of the original edition.Widely praised by professionals and collectors alike, Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages has been described as “a quality book in every way; an impressive work” —Journal of Lock Collecting. It is an indispensable reference for antique-lock collectors, architectural historians, locksmiths, blacksmiths, machinists, and anyone fascinated by the mechanical artistry of security through the centuries.

Adding Spice to Your Woodturning: 20 Salt, Pepper and Spice Shaker Projects for Woodturners by by British woodturner Chris West is an authoritative and practical guide from one of Europe’s leading specialists in turned tableware design. West’s reputation for clarity and precision shines in this comprehensive project book, which presents twenty original designs ranging from classic to contemporary forms.Each project includes complete working drawings, precise dimensions in both metric and imperial units, and clear photographic sequences. Step-by-step instructions guide readers through material selection, safe lathe operation, shaping techniques, and finishing. Projects are clearly labeled for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, allowing turners to build their confidence and skills progressively.Reviewers praise West’s accessible teaching style, attention to safety, and the practicality of his designs—ideal for gifts, personal collections, or small-scale production. The book also includes sections on wood selection, finishes, health and safety, and practical advice for customizing shaker mechanisms and closures.Designed specifically for use in the workshop, this spiral-bound hardcover lays flat on the bench, printed on heavy-duty art paper for durability. With contributions recognized by turning guilds and woodworking associations across Europe and North America, West’s book has become a valued addition to the modern woodturner’s library.Both an instructional manual and a source of inspiration, Adding Spice to Your Woodturning helps turners at every level produce elegant, functional, and marketable pieces that highlight the beauty of wood and the creativity of the maker.

Secrets of the Forge: Beginning and Intermediate Projects for Blacksmiths brings together the knowledge of twenty-four Italian master blacksmiths to guide readers through the essential techniques and artistry of hand forging.This 224-page, large-format hardcover (9½ × 11¼ inches) contains 48 complete projects ranging from foundational exercises to advanced sculptural and technical work. Each project is shown in clear, close-up step-by-step color photographs—more than 800 in total—making the learning process intuitive and visually engaging.The book begins with simple exercises such as twisting bars, drawing out points, and shaping spearheads, then progresses to elegant scrollwork, floral and animal forms, and intricate sculptures including a duck in flight, a snail, a dragon, and a nude figure. It concludes with two master-level projects: forging a Damascus steel blade and constructing a functional hand-forged lock.As readers move through the projects, they develop precision, control, and artistry—the foundations of true craftsmanship. The progression mirrors a traditional apprenticeship, where mastery is achieved through repetition and refinement of skills.Reviewers have praised Secrets of the Forge for its clarity and visual richness. The Midwest Book Review called it “exceptionally well organized and presented,” while The Hammer’s Blow described it as “a comprehensive study of projects to inspire the seasoned beginner.”Written under the direction of Antonello Rizzo, author of The Blacksmith’s Project Book: Intermediate & Advanced Projects from European Masters, this edition serves both as a practical workshop guide and as a gallery of contemporary European ironwork.Printed on high-quality paper and bound for durability, Secrets of the Forge is an indispensable reference for blacksmiths, bladesmiths, metal artists, and educators—combining tradition, artistry, and hands-on instruction in one beautiful volume.

The Blacksmith’s Project Book: Intermediate and Advanced Projects from European Masters continues where Secrets of the Forge left off, taking readers deeper into the creative and technical possibilities of the forge. This substantial hardcover volume (248 pages, over 900 color photographs) gathers 20 projects from leading European blacksmiths, each demonstrating advanced processes and artistic approaches through precise, photo-documented steps.Projects include metallic fusion, damascening, chromatic finishing, mokume, patination, sculpture forging, and other high-level methods that challenge and inspire skilled artisans. Each chapter shows the evolution of a work from raw stock to finished form, with attention to tools, materials, design intent, and craftsmanship.The final chapter, a thoughtful essay on the restoration of historic wrought iron, addresses the philosophy and ethics of conserving traditional metalwork, reinforcing the book’s dual focus on mastery and respect for heritage.Praised across Europe and North America as “an exceptional publication” and “a serious treatment of advanced blacksmithing,” The Blacksmith’s Project Book serves as both technical guide and artistic inspiration—a must-have reference for professional smiths, craft educators, and all who are passionate about metal as a medium of expression.

Master the craft of blacksmithing from foundational techniques to modern artistry with this two-book set. Together, Secrets of the Forge and The Blacksmith’s Project Book offer today’s blacksmiths a remarkable range of projects, blending tradition with innovation. Featuring hundreds of step-by-step color photographs, clear explanations, and inspiring designs, these highly regarded books provide a comprehensive learning journey for both beginning and advanced metalworkers. Secrets of the Forge – This classic reference contains 48 projects for beginning and intermediate blacksmiths. It starts with fundamental exercises—twisting bars, forging spearheads, shaping scrolls—and progresses to more complex and artistic creations such as a duck in flight, flowers, a dragon, a nude figure, and more. Every project includes precise instructions, dimensions, and color photos to guide you through the forging process from start to finish. The Blacksmith's Project Book – This companion volume takes your skills to the next level, presenting 20 advanced projects from accomplished European smiths. With more than 900 step-by-step color photographs, the book features artistic and functional works ranging from sculptures and Venetian door knockers to practical tools and architectural details. Each project specifies stock sizes (in imperial units) and the tools used, making it easy to follow or adapt with your own creative touch.

Antique Locks and Keys: Their History, Uses and Mechanisms by Ulf Weissenberger is a landmark reference that combines art history, mechanical design, and craftsmanship in a single extraordinary volume. Awarded the 2024 Gold Medal in Hobbies & Crafts by the Independent Book Publishers Association, this 290-page hardcover is richly illustrated with over 1,000 high-resolution color photographs of European locks and keys spanning from ancient Rome to the Industrial Revolution.Each piece is presented with dates, dimensions, and provenance, enabling readers to appreciate not only the evolution of mechanical function but also the artistic and cultural influences that shaped their design across centuries. Weissenberger’s accompanying commentary provides rare insights into the mechanisms, materials, and decorative styles that define each historical period.The book also addresses restoration principles, offering readers a thoughtful discussion of how antique locks can be conserved without compromising authenticity. This makes it invaluable not only for collectors and historians but also for blacksmiths, locksmiths, and metalworkers seeking to understand or recreate traditional mechanisms.Beautifully printed in a large 31 × 23.5 cm format, Antique Locks and Keys is as visually captivating as it is authoritative. It has quickly become the definitive international reference for anyone fascinated by the intersection of design, craftsmanship, and engineering.Whether for display in a collector’s library, study by restoration professionals, or inspiration for artisans and lock enthusiasts, this remarkable work stands as a tribute to one of humanity’s most enduring inventions.

The New Spruce Forge Manual of Locksmithing: A Blacksmith’s Guide to Simple Lock Mechanisms (Revised and Expanded) is the definitive modern handbook on traditional locksmithing for blacksmiths, restorers, and historical craft enthusiasts.Completely rewritten and more than twice the size of the original 1999 edition, this 304-page hardcover features over 800 full-color photographs and drawings, making it one of the most detailed and visually engaging manuals ever published on the subject.The book is divided into two main sections. “Technical Information” functions as a blacksmithing reference in its own right, introducing the tools, techniques, and metalworking procedures necessary for creating lock components. Topics include forging, cold working, filing, chiseling, riveting, broaching, pattern creation, and other essential low-tech processes achievable with a basic hand-tool setup.The second section, The Locks: Patterns & Instructions, presents 14 fully dimensioned lock projects, each illustrated with clear step-by-step photographs and written guidance. The authors’ practical, low-technology approach demonstrates how intricate and precise mechanisms can be built without modern machinery, relying instead on skill, patience, and a deep understanding of metal.Praised by blacksmithing guilds across North America and Europe, this award-winning manual has been described as “a goldmine of information” and “a must-have book for anyone interested in basic locks.” It not only revives the nearly lost art of hand-forged lock making but also enriches the knowledge of any craftsman working in blacksmithing, furniture restoration, period hardware fabrication, or architectural conservation.With its clarity, breadth, and historical insight, The New Spruce Forge Manual of Locksmithing is both a technical guide and a celebration of craftsmanship, an essential volume for every forge and workshop library.

Winner of the Silver Medal in the IBPA Book Awards for Hobbies and Crafts, Persian Locks: 1500 Years of Iranian Padlocks by Parviz Tanavoli is a magnificent exploration of Iran’s ancient and enduring lockmaking tradition.Across 144 pages and more than 500 color photographs and technical illustrations, Tanavoli presents an extraordinary collection of antique Persian padlocks—works of both utility and art—documenting their evolution over fifteen centuries. In Iran, the padlock developed in remarkable diversity of shapes, materials, and mechanical ingenuity, far surpassing the variety found in Europe. This book reveals those traditions through meticulous documentation, visual clarity, and historical context.Each lock is carefully catalogued and illustrated, with detailed line drawings that show the workings of barbed-spring, helical-spring, notched-shackle, hook, and revolving-catch mechanisms. Dates and places of origin are noted wherever possible. The collection featured in Persian Locks was first introduced to the American public by the Smithsonian Institution in 1976 under the title Locks from Iran: Pre-Islamic to Twentieth Century. This expanded and revised edition—produced between 2019 and 2020—adds new text and a wealth of previously unpublished images acquired during the forty-four years since the original publication.Tanavoli, recognized internationally as Iran’s foremost modern sculptor and a founder of the Saqakhaneh art movement, brings both the eye of an artist and the precision of a historian to his study. His fascination with locks stems from their sculptural beauty and symbolic resonance, elements that have profoundly influenced his own artistic work.Printed in hardcover (25.5 × 21.5 cm), this lavishly produced volume is as much a work of art as the masterpieces it documents—a vital reference for collectors, museums, metal artists, and historians of Persian art and design.

Forged: Making a Knife with Traditional Blacksmith Skills by Paul White is a beautifully illustrated, straightforward manual that teaches readers how to forge a complete, functional knife using the same time-tested methods once practised by traditional blacksmiths.Across 132 pages and more than 150 colour photographs and drawings, White explains each stage of the process—from steel selection and forging the blade to shaping, heat treating, riveting, and sharpening—using only hand tools. The book’s centrepiece project, a frontier-style utility knife, serves as a model through which readers learn essential forging techniques, heat control, and fit-and-finish craftsmanship.Written in a conversational and encouraging tone, Forged is filled with “Tips,” “Notes,” and “Blacksmith Secrets” boxes that provide extra insight into real-world workshop practice. White’s emphasis on low-technology, affordable tools makes the book especially appealing for new bladesmiths, hobbyists, and teachers of traditional craft.Reviewers across the international blacksmithing community have praised Forged for its clarity, depth, and authenticity. Publications such as The Anvil’s Ring, Knives Illustrated, California Blacksmith, and The Hammer’s Blow describe it as an indispensable beginner’s guide, noting its effective presentation of core techniques like heat treatment, annealing, normalising, hardening, and edge quenching.Paul White—a practising blacksmith with over forty-five years of experience—writes not only as a craftsman but as a teacher preserving a vanishing tradition. His goal is to help readers honour the heritage of the forge while developing their own skill and confidence.Printed in hardcover (132 pages, 24 × 17 cm) and richly illustrated in colour, Forged is both a practical workshop guide and a tribute to the timeless craft of hand-forged knives.

Winner of the 2021 IBPA Gold Medal for Best Hobby and Craft Book, Marvelous Magnetic Machines: Building Model Electric Motors from Scrap is an inventive and visually captivating guide for anyone fascinated by electricity, magnetism, and mechanical design.Author H.P. Friedrichs—a professional electrical engineer, inventor, and the celebrated author of The Voice of the Crystal and Instruments of Amplification—returns with a new collection of projects that demonstrate how to build five fully functional electric motors from salvaged materials. Using hand tools and a keen sense of engineering creativity, Friedrichs shows how discarded objects such as cookware, typewriter parts, and audio components can be transformed into kinetic sculptures powered by magnetic force.Each chapter combines clear, engaging explanations of electrical and magnetic principles with meticulous construction details, 3D CAD diagrams, and over 170 photographs and illustrations. Projects include solenoid-driven crank motors, a six-cylinder “Christmas Motor,” and brushless designs that teach modern concepts like Hall-effect sensors and transistor switching.Unlike conventional project manuals, Marvelous Magnetic Machines emphasizes inventive problem-solving over rigid step-by-step replication. Readers learn how to adapt scavenged materials, fabricate missing parts, balance rotors, and engineer their own creative solutions—skills essential to the true “maker” spirit.Critics have praised the book as “exceptionally well written” —Midwest Book Review, “educational and inspiring” —CQ Amateur Radio, and “an impressive work of art and science” —Make Magazine.Beautifully printed in hardcover (160 pages, 24 × 17 cm), this book is both a workshop reference and a celebration of imaginative engineering. Whether you’re a hobbyist, teacher, or lifelong tinkerer, Marvelous Magnetic Machines will rekindle your curiosity about the unseen forces that move the world.

Electricity powers nearly every aspect of modern life, yet many people have only a limited understanding of how it works. Understanding Basic Electricity (UK Edition) is a clear, practical, and approachable guide designed to explain the fundamentals of electricity in plain language, without requiring a technical background.Written for homeowners, students, and anyone curious about the electrical systems around them, this book takes readers step by step through the basic principles of electricity. Featuring dozens of figures, charts, diagrams, and practical examples, it explains how electricity is produced, measured, controlled, and safely used in everyday applications.Author Irwin Math introduces the essential concepts of voltage, current, resistance, and power using straightforward explanations and real-world examples. Readers will learn how electrical circuits work, how batteries and household electrical systems operate, how to make basic electrical measurements, and how to understand simple electrical schematics.This UK edition has been specially adapted for readers in the United Kingdom and Ireland, incorporating UK terminology, mains voltages, wiring conventions, electrical symbols, and illustrations relevant to British practice.Topics include:Basic electrical principlesVoltage, current, resistance, and powerBatteries and electrical circuitsHousehold electricity and mains powerElectrical measurements and multimeter useCommon electrical components and toolsElectrical safety fundamentalsReading and understanding simple schematicsWhether you are learning about electricity for the first time or refreshing knowledge acquired years ago, Understanding Basic Electricity (UK Edition) provides a solid foundation for understanding one of the most important technologies in everyday life.No advanced mathematics or previous electrical knowledge is required.

A Blacksmithing Primer is one of the most widely used introductory blacksmithing books available, with more than 35,000 copies sold. Written by Master Blacksmith Randy McDaniel, this practical guide provides clear, step-by-step instruction for beginners and intermediate blacksmiths and includes both metric and imperial measurements throughout, making it suitable for blacksmiths in the UK, Europe, North America, and elsewhere.With 174 pages and more than 400 detailed drawings, this comprehensive handbook takes readers from setting up a forge and selecting tools to mastering essential forging techniques and completing increasingly advanced projects. The clear illustrations and workshop-tested instruction make complex operations easy to understand and apply at the anvil.Topics include forge setup, tool selection, hammer control, fire management, drawing out, upsetting, bending, twisting, forge welding, heat treating, and many other core blacksmithing skills. The book also includes plans for building a forge table, firebox, and fabricated anvil.A wide variety of practical projects allows readers to develop skills through hands-on experience. Projects include nails, hooks, tongs, chisels, chain, scrollwork, decorative work, and more advanced forged pieces. Each project builds upon previous lessons, creating a structured path from basic techniques to greater confidence and craftsmanship.Designed to be used in the workshop as much as in the classroom, A Blacksmithing Primer is a reference that many blacksmiths keep within arm's reach of the forge rather than on the bookshelf. Whether you are lighting your first fire or looking to strengthen your fundamental skills, this book provides a solid foundation in the craft of blacksmithing.More than 35,000 copies soldIncludes both metric and imperial measurements throughout174 pages and over 400 detailed drawingsStep-by-step instruction for beginners and intermediate blacksmithsCovers tools, forge setup, forging techniques, heat treating, and forge weldingIncludes practical projects and shop-built equipment plansA trusted guide for anyone who wants to learn blacksmithing correctly, safely, and efficiently.

Now, for the first time, three landmark books on the world of locks and keys are available together in one handsome collection. From ancient mechanisms to master-crafted European designs and the intricate ingenuity of Persian locks, this set offers an extraordinary journey through the evolution of security and metalwork. Antique Locks and Keys – This is the most beautiful, complete, and largest book on antique locks and keys ever published. Not only are there 1,000 stunning high-resolution photos of European locks and keys from Roman times through the Industrial Revolution, with dates, dimensions, and provenance, but the detailed photos and the author’s notes allow us to examine and understand the workings of the locks’ internal mechanisms. This is a book that every lock and key collector, locksmith, and architectural restorer will want to own. Locks and Keys Throughout the Ages – Widely considered the best book ever written on the history of locks. Illustrated throughout with photos from the Lips’ Collection, it was written in 1957 by the director of one of the most important lock manufacturing companies in the world at that time (now part of the Assa Abloy Group). The author was not only a master locksmith but also a collector and was passionate about the history and development of locking mechanisms. His extensive knowledge of the field comes across on every page. Persian Locks – In this beautiful and informative book, the author shares, in over 500 photos and drawings, the most interesting examples of locks from his famous collection, first introduced to the American public by the Smithsonian. Detailed drawings clearly illustrate the workings of various locking mechanisms (e.g., barbed-spring, helical-spring, notched-shackle, hook and revolving catch, etc.). All locks are dated and the place of manufacture is given. A smaller version of this updated and expanded book was published by The Smithsonian Institution in 1976 with the title, Locks from Pre-Islamic to Twentieth Century.

Creating Steel Jewelry: Etching, Fusing, Keum Boo, Enameling, Stainless and More by Bette Barnett is a landmark manual and artistic reference for jewellers, blacksmiths, bladesmiths, and metal artists exploring the expressive possibilities of steel.Winner of the 2025 Silver Medal for Excellence at the Independent Book Publishers Awards, this hardcover volume (160 pages, over 300 colour illustrations) combines deep technical expertise with an innovative creative approach.Barnett presents a comprehensive study of steel as an artistic medium, covering low-carbon, stainless, and powdered metals. Each chapter offers a clear, step-by-step guide to essential techniques: etching, fusing gold and other metals, applying powdered metals, Keum Boo on steel, patination, enamelling, and protective sealing. The text is supported by hundreds of close-up photographs and practical charts designed for real workshop use.Contributors include Amanda Denison (UK), specialist in enamel on steel, and Andy Cooperman (USA), known internationally for his pioneering work with stainless steel. The foreword, written by master swordsmith Peter Johnsson (Sweden), situates Barnett’s methods within a broader artistic and metallurgical tradition.Reviewers across the metalsmithing and blacksmithing communities praise the book for its clarity, adaptability, and inspiration. The techniques described can be applied not only to jewellery but also to blades, sculptural pieces, and forged decorative work, making this guide relevant to artisans working at any scale.Rich in both technical instruction and artistic insight, Creating Steel Jewelry is the most comprehensive and beautifully produced book available on the subject. It is a must-have reference for metal artists, jewellers, and craftspeople worldwide who wish to master the union of steel with colour, texture, and precious metals.

Anvils in America by Richard A. Postman is a robust and authoritative market-listing title for trade buyers in craft-related retail. Originally published by the author and now re-issued as a hardcover by Artisan Ideas, the book spans more than 500 pages of research, featuring a comprehensive survey of anvil manufacture, stamping, imports and usage in North America — but with meaningful coverage of UK and European anvil-makers as well. The text defines seventeen distinct parts of the anvil, discusses weight-marking systems, manufacturing techniques and the patterns and types of anvils forged or cast during the 19th and early 20th centuries.It includes hundreds of vintage photographs, old advertisements and clear reference material that appeals both to the hands-on blacksmith and the tool historian or collector. For the UK/European market the crossover appeal is strong: early European imports to America are explored, and UK-made anvils are discussed alongside U.S. makers, enabling the book to resonate with British and European tool specialists, heritage tool retailers, museum shops, metalcraft schools and dedicated hobby craft outlets. For European book buyers this title represents a premium craft-reference product with defined niche appeal, excellent shelf presence (hardcover, large format, high-quality printing) and strong potential for specialist catalogue listing and placement. The re­print affords an opportunity to re-introduce this established title to a new audience and capitalise on its “standard reference” status in the marketplace.

Understanding Basic Electricity: A Non-Technical Introduction for Everyone is a clear, engaging, and practical guide designed to demystify electricity for the general reader. Written in plain language and illustrated with 45 colour photographs and diagrams, this 72-page hardcover helps readers gain confidence in understanding and safely handling the electrical systems that power their homes.Author Irwin Math takes a friendly, step-by-step approach, avoiding mathematical complexity and introducing only one simple, easy-to-remember formula. Through relatable household examples, he explains what electricity is, how it is produced, how we measure and use it, and the precautions needed to avoid hazards.The book goes beyond theory, offering insights that enable readers to troubleshoot basic problems, perform simple repairs, and communicate effectively with electricians. Whether for a curious teen, a new homeowner, or an adult revisiting forgotten science lessons, Understanding Basic Electricity provides a solid foundation in a vital subject.Praised by readers as “a well-written and illustrated basic book on electricity” and “a great read for those wishing to learn more about electricity and retain the logic behind the concepts,” this accessible volume has been described as “a perfect addition to any home or school library.”Combining clarity, safety awareness, and practical value, Understanding Basic Electricity turns a complex topic into a manageable and fascinating introduction—making it the perfect choice for anyone seeking to truly understand the power that runs our world.