Good for beginners, 14 May 2008
This book is ideal for the beginner who is just starting out on a new hobby of whittling. It gives you details of all the equipment you need and close up pictures of the techniques for the cuts etc. However the majority of the projects are cockerels - cockerels leaning back, cockerels leaning forward, cockerels looking up - depending on the angle of the fork in the twig. For inspiration for a wider range of projects you need to look elsewhere.

Good for beginners, 14 May 2008
This book is ideal for the beginner who is just starting out on a new hobby of whittling. It gives you details of all the equipment you need and close up pictures of the techniques for the cuts etc. However the majority of the projects are cockerels - cockerels leaning back, cockerels leaning forward, cockerels looking up - depending on the angle of the fork in the twig. For inspiration for a wider range of projects you need to look elsewhere.

Learn carved lettering with Chris Pye, 30 Aug 2003
Although I am an experienced woodworker, I always steered clear of carved lettering. But this book gives one the impetus to take the subject by the horns. Read Chris Pye's careful analysis of the incised roman letter and start to realise that you can do it too! This book fills you with enthusiasm and drives you out to buy the supplied list of carving tools you need to emulate the lettering in the book. It is also a valuable reference for continual use. Very soon you are incising your first trench and under Chris Pye's excellent guidance you are quickly onto curved and compass-struck letters.

Of course you will make mistakes. If you are impetuous like me, you might run before you can walk but Chris Pye will have none of this. Go back and read again his meticulous and thorough instruction. He doesn't abandon you!

Within the same month that I bought this book, I had copied one of the included projects and developed sufficient confidence to carve script on a completed item of furniture. My first house-name customer quickly followed.

If I had one criticism, it is that the book takes no account of the versatility of computors for layout, kerning and the variety of available fonts. The book is still in the land of Letraset, freehand and tracing paper. But a new edition of the book is due for publication this year. I am sure that Chris Pye will have attended to this minor point in his rewrite.

Good for beginners, 14 May 2008
This book is ideal for the beginner who is just starting out on a new hobby of whittling. It gives you details of all the equipment you need and close up pictures of the techniques for the cuts etc. However the majority of the projects are cockerels - cockerels leaning back, cockerels leaning forward, cockerels looking up - depending on the angle of the fork in the twig. For inspiration for a wider range of projects you need to look elsewhere.

Learn carved lettering with Chris Pye, 30 Aug 2003
Although I am an experienced woodworker, I always steered clear of carved lettering. But this book gives one the impetus to take the subject by the horns. Read Chris Pye's careful analysis of the incised roman letter and start to realise that you can do it too! This book fills you with enthusiasm and drives you out to buy the supplied list of carving tools you need to emulate the lettering in the book. It is also a valuable reference for continual use. Very soon you are incising your first trench and under Chris Pye's excellent guidance you are quickly onto curved and compass-struck letters.

Of course you will make mistakes. If you are impetuous like me, you might run before you can walk but Chris Pye will have none of this. Go back and read again his meticulous and thorough instruction. He doesn't abandon you!

Within the same month that I bought this book, I had copied one of the included projects and developed sufficient confidence to carve script on a completed item of furniture. My first house-name customer quickly followed.

If I had one criticism, it is that the book takes no account of the versatility of computors for layout, kerning and the variety of available fonts. The book is still in the land of Letraset, freehand and tracing paper. But a new edition of the book is due for publication this year. I am sure that Chris Pye will have attended to this minor point in his rewrite.

Wrong Author, 02 Jun 2007
This book is not by Ian Norbury, look at the large picture. I have not read the book so the rating is not accurate.

Good for beginners, 14 May 2008
This book is ideal for the beginner who is just starting out on a new hobby of whittling. It gives you details of all the equipment you need and close up pictures of the techniques for the cuts etc. However the majority of the projects are cockerels - cockerels leaning back, cockerels leaning forward, cockerels looking up - depending on the angle of the fork in the twig. For inspiration for a wider range of projects you need to look elsewhere.

Learn carved lettering with Chris Pye, 30 Aug 2003
Although I am an experienced woodworker, I always steered clear of carved lettering. But this book gives one the impetus to take the subject by the horns. Read Chris Pye's careful analysis of the incised roman letter and start to realise that you can do it too! This book fills you with enthusiasm and drives you out to buy the supplied list of carving tools you need to emulate the lettering in the book. It is also a valuable reference for continual use. Very soon you are incising your first trench and under Chris Pye's excellent guidance you are quickly onto curved and compass-struck letters.

Of course you will make mistakes. If you are impetuous like me, you might run before you can walk but Chris Pye will have none of this. Go back and read again his meticulous and thorough instruction. He doesn't abandon you!

Within the same month that I bought this book, I had copied one of the included projects and developed sufficient confidence to carve script on a completed item of furniture. My first house-name customer quickly followed.

If I had one criticism, it is that the book takes no account of the versatility of computors for layout, kerning and the variety of available fonts. The book is still in the land of Letraset, freehand and tracing paper. But a new edition of the book is due for publication this year. I am sure that Chris Pye will have attended to this minor point in his rewrite.

Wrong Author, 02 Jun 2007
This book is not by Ian Norbury, look at the large picture. I have not read the book so the rating is not accurate.

Uninspiring, 09 Mar 2007
The old saying that you should never judge a book by it's cover does not apply here. The simple, cartoon-ish line drawings on the cover represent the general standard of the content in terms of both narrative and illustration. The poor quality black and white photographs do nothing to enhance the appeal of the uninspiring finished articles.
The book is aimed squarely at the american market and contains no references to associations, suppliers etc. outside the U.S. - the language used also contains many coloquialisms, nouns and adjectives which may not be readily understandable by readers in the UK.
That apart, the writing of this book is clearly an exercise in self-indulgence, for instance there are many passages of lengthy and irrelevant ruminations and anecdotes on life in general, and how it would be much richer if only we could all carve wood.
The authors promote the conceited opinion that woodcarving is the epitome of creative art, however the book does nothing to support this view.

Good for beginners, 14 May 2008
This book is ideal for the beginner who is just starting out on a new hobby of whittling. It gives you details of all the equipment you need and close up pictures of the techniques for the cuts etc. However the majority of the projects are cockerels - cockerels leaning back, cockerels leaning forward, cockerels looking up - depending on the angle of the fork in the twig. For inspiration for a wider range of projects you need to look elsewhere.

Learn carved lettering with Chris Pye, 30 Aug 2003
Although I am an experienced woodworker, I always steered clear of carved lettering. But this book gives one the impetus to take the subject by the horns. Read Chris Pye's careful analysis of the incised roman letter and start to realise that you can do it too! This book fills you with enthusiasm and drives you out to buy the supplied list of carving tools you need to emulate the lettering in the book. It is also a valuable reference for continual use. Very soon you are incising your first trench and under Chris Pye's excellent guidance you are quickly onto curved and compass-struck letters.

Of course you will make mistakes. If you are impetuous like me, you might run before you can walk but Chris Pye will have none of this. Go back and read again his meticulous and thorough instruction. He doesn't abandon you!

Within the same month that I bought this book, I had copied one of the included projects and developed sufficient confidence to carve script on a completed item of furniture. My first house-name customer quickly followed.

If I had one criticism, it is that the book takes no account of the versatility of computors for layout, kerning and the variety of available fonts. The book is still in the land of Letraset, freehand and tracing paper. But a new edition of the book is due for publication this year. I am sure that Chris Pye will have attended to this minor point in his rewrite.

Wrong Author, 02 Jun 2007
This book is not by Ian Norbury, look at the large picture. I have not read the book so the rating is not accurate.

Uninspiring, 09 Mar 2007
The old saying that you should never judge a book by it's cover does not apply here. The simple, cartoon-ish line drawings on the cover represent the general standard of the content in terms of both narrative and illustration. The poor quality black and white photographs do nothing to enhance the appeal of the uninspiring finished articles.
The book is aimed squarely at the american market and contains no references to associations, suppliers etc. outside the U.S. - the language used also contains many coloquialisms, nouns and adjectives which may not be readily understandable by readers in the UK.
That apart, the writing of this book is clearly an exercise in self-indulgence, for instance there are many passages of lengthy and irrelevant ruminations and anecdotes on life in general, and how it would be much richer if only we could all carve wood.
The authors promote the conceited opinion that woodcarving is the epitome of creative art, however the book does nothing to support this view.

A great little book !, 11 Jun 2003
This book assumes you have a small basic set of tools and a little experience in using them. It is ideal for those who, like me, have attempted to carve a human face in wood but failed miserably because although you can see your work isn't great, you just can't see WHY !
This book will identify for you those small elements in the face which we respond to when we look and help you to actually recreate them producing a convincing illusion in wood.
Component parts of the face are singled out and step by step their reproduction is explained, helped by many drawings and photos. Proportion and geography of the face is also explained clearly.
My only gripe would be with the quality of some of the images,but I would heartily reccommend this book nonetheless. It WILL improve your work by a HUGE amount, unless you are already a timeserved expert, in which case it is probably just another excellent reference work for you.