On Oct 20, 11:23 am, eclipsme wrote:
I got my renewal notice for FWW, just after getting that horrible issue
with the article on clamping - yea, one of those Irwin hand clamps will
apply more pressure than my Bessy K body. I don't think so...

Anyway, I realize that what use to be the unrivaled best is perhaps no
more. What do you think is the best woodworking magazine for the
advanced amateur/pro market?

Harvey

Every magazine goes hot and cold. After all, do you really stop
writing about nails, just because you wrote about them when you were
still black and white?

I enjoy going through all the ads in any of the woodworking
magazines...mostly to take down URL's of those ads that interest me.
Then I go visit their sites and learn more about what the specific
manufacturer has to sell me. So, believe it or not, I buy magazines to
look at the ads. Seldom do I buy a magazine because there is a shoot-
out between Sikorsky and Bell shredders.
For opinions and technical input, I come here to the Wreck, or I visit
Woodweb.com or call my colleagues.
A good tool/equipment dealer will tell me; "Rob, this unit is not
quite as good as this one, but it is 95% there and you save a ton of
dough going this route."

My cynical outlook about magazine reviews came after I was asked to
buy an ad in a well-known audio magazine if I wanted a review.
The bigger the ad, the better the review. I'm not saying they're all
like that, but business is business, and politics is..well...business
too. You see, FWW and WOOD etc...NEED the Delta's and Porter Cables,
Ridgids and so on...if they want to stay in business, they have to
kiss a little ass.

The rest, like the clamping article..is just filler.... and they're
scrambling for filler. ALL magazines suffer that lot. All you have to
do is pick up a copy of Playboy if you REALLY want to learn about GE
Silicone II.... oops.. different kinda filler.

r