A Cabinetmaker's Notebook
by James Krenov
Review by Mark Gezella – April 2004
It's been said that experience is the best teacher. But I bet the person who first coined the term never had a mentor with abilities such as one James Krenov. This book is quite an inspiration for anyone contemplating a project and/or career in furniture making.
"A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" is literally what it claims to be. Mr. Krenov compiled a lengthy group of notes, thoughts and life experiences into a hardbound publication that offers much in the way of practical advice for the craft of making furniture. It is the first of five books he wrote over the years, and pictures of him in each attest to the time span between publications. This book also happens to be one of the older editions we have in our library, though many of the tools and techniques described prove timeless anyway. I found a newer edition of this book on the web which is quite different from our offering. The one we own may even be somewhat collectible now.
As I researched a bit about Mr. Krenov I found it interesting to place the point at which he authored the book within the chronology of his life events. This first publication was actually written while he still lived and worked in Sweden (he was quite a globe-trotter!). Years later, he moved to Northern California and created the College of the Redwoods in California. You may recall a young member of our group speaking a few meetings ago of his experience at the College (an interesting presentation). He mentioned several anecdotes about his personal experiences with "Jim" (some very amusing!). Mr. Krenov led the College for twenty years until retiring from it in 2002. This book is a precursor to that part of his life.
He has a recurring theme in this firs book of his, preaching a tactile approach to the work. He considers the wood to live, well after a tree has been felled and "processed" by the sawmill. He is very sensitive to the material, working ever so cautiously in an effort to offer it the respect it deserves. But that approach extends beyond the material; I get the impression he sees almost everything as a viable entity; that all things have a "soul".
Mr. Krenov's work ethic is exemplary. Early on he describes his low-tech approach to working wood. Slabs are hand-carried one at a time to his workshop. Massive timbers are cut with an enlarged bow-saw. He eschewed tooling early in his shop, choosing to cut, form and plane his stock with tools made by his own hand. That's not to say he's impractical - he devotes a page to describing the use of power for the sake of economy. But he emphasizes the "elusive treachery" to machining; you must be disciplined enough to seek out a balance with their use. The right amount can aid a craftsman, but when taken to excess it will corrupt him. He goes on to discuss the pleasure of purposeful work, which really stuck with me. To paraphrase a statement of his - "I don't love working, but I love to work well". How about that?!
I always look forward to books that are heavily illustrated - not to get away with a minimal amount of reading, mind you! Instead, I welcome the chance to view actual works along with descriptions of how the creator worked through a thought process, or design or actual construction details. This book has copious amounts of pictures, though most are in black and white, with a good deal of shaded pictures which makes it difficult to eyeball certain details of a subject at times.
It illustrates a furniture group that doesn't necessarily represent a unique style, per se. However, after thumbing through the pages for any length of time you begin to notice subtleties that readily identify the works as Krenov. I can offer several examples; drawer pulls have soft, rounded edges which are mostly made of wood. Carcass edges tend to be softened with a round-over, and I also noticed tenons usually protrude beyond the through-mortise. Thicker carcass sides tend to be cut at an angle other than square to the surface as well. And, as you might expect, cabinets and drawers are always dovetailed. All of these techniques, when combined, synergize to create a work of beauty while being durable at the same time.
This is an old, hard-cover entry in our library, but a good one at that. It presents some great examples of "Krenovian furniture" during the author's formative years. The only negative comment I have, albeit a small one, is the cover leaf boasts of many pictures in both color and black-and-white. Yet there are only two or three pages in the middle of the book with a few color photos - a very small percentage of the total. Still, it didn't deter me from borrowing it, and I hope you consider it at some point too! "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook" is currently available for checkout in the Guild library.