American Peasant 

by Christopher Schwarz

“American Peasant” is an introduction to a style of furniture and decoration that is almost unheard of in the Americas. Built primarily with tongues, grooves and pegs, the furniture is frequently engraved with geometric symbols that beautify the piece and protect its owner.

With this book, you will learn to build 10 simple pieces using common tools and whatever lumber is on hand. And you’ll learn to engrave the pieces using nothing more than a cheap craft knife and a vinyl flooring cutter. (We were so thrilled with this tool that we now make a commercial version of it.)

In addition to furniture making, “American Peasant” delves into other areas of the craft that will make you a more independent woodworker. Learn to make your own commercial-grade glue using only three ingredients (food-grade gelatin, salt and water), all of which you can find at the grocery store. The glue is strong, reversible and non-toxic (it’s edible, though we don’t recommend eating it).

You can make your own finish using beeswax, linseed oil and citrus solvent. This non-toxic finish is easy to apply and to repair. Plus, it looks better with age and use.

Finally, you’ll learn the language of the engravings, which come from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the U.K. These geometric engravings can protect a loved one from sickness, guard your valuables and grant good fortune to others (there are no negative engravings or spells in this book). 

“American Peasant” might change the furniture you build. It might change how you build and finish it. And it might change your mind about the role of the handmade objects in your life.

About the Physical Book

“American Peasant” is 6” x 9” and is printed in Tennessee on #70 matte-coated paper on a Japanese-built sheet-fed printing press. (This is an offset printing press that’s the size of a house – not a digital copier.) The pages are folded into signatures, sewn, glued and reinforced with fiber-based tape to create a permanent binding. Our books regularly survive floods and attacks by dogs and toddlers.

The 312-page interior is then attached to heavy cotton-covered boards using a thick paper hinge. The cover and spine are adorned with a two-color foil die stamp. The image is physically stamped into the cloth and the board, giving the cover a texture you won’t get from modern digital books.

The book is designed to be used – hard – and survive more than a century of use.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

1. Some Lovely Filth Down ’Ere 1
2.  The Peasant’s Workshop 7
3. On Wood & Joinery 17
4. Tongue & Groove Planes 25
5. Trenails & Iron Nails 39
6. Grocery Store Glue 51
7. Finishes: How to Make & Apply Them 63
8. A Walk Around the Symbolic Block 75
9. Some Common Symbols & Spells in Europe 85
10. Sharpen & Use Engraving Tools 105
11. Good Work, at Speed 123
12. Pristolnic 127
13. Wall Rack 139
14. High Carpathian Wall Cabinet 149
15. Plate Rack 163
16. Wall Cupboard 173
17. Small Coffer 187
18. Large Coffer 197
19. Cupboard 219
20. Peasant Chair 237
21. The Urban Peasants 257

Appendix 1: Other Peasants  263
Appendix 2: Boarded Tool Chest 279
Acknowledgments 297
Bibliography 299