Editorial style

The magazine's editorial direction has always been to focus on the very best of woodworking techniques at the highest level of skill. There has always a blend of articles from hands-on techniques, complex theory behind timber, finishes or tools, through to sheer showcase admiration of the work of others. The quality of the work illustrated has always been a feature of the magazine: no matter how unattainable such skills might appear, the editors have never been afraid to show it as an aspiration to readers.

Although there are a good number of "project" articles included, Fine Woodworking has never "dumbed down" to make its pieces easier and more populist.

History

The magazine began publication in 1975, with simple monochrome printing and stapled monochrome covers.

Notable contributors

• Tage Frid
  Tage Frid
  -Further reading:* Hank Gilpin, "Professor Frid," Fine Woodworking magazine 146 , pp. 80-85.* John Kelsey, "Tage Frid: A Talk with the Old Master," Fine Woodworking magazine 52 , pp. 66-67....
  
  
• R. Bruce Hoadley
  R. Bruce Hoadley
  R. Bruce Hoadley is a professor of Building Materials and Wood Technology in the Department of Natural Resources Conservation at theUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst...
  
  
• Richard Raffan
  Richard Raffan
  Richard Raffan is a famous woodturner, author, and instructor who helped popularize the craft of woodturning in the 1970s, and head the "art turning" movement that saw turned objects move into galleries and be considered works of art....
  
  

Related publications

Since the very first issues, there has been an interest in keeping old copies as an archival resource. Taunton encouraged this, support for back issue sales and regular indexes.

Collected volumes have also been produced as both hardback and softback books. These began as collections of the best general articles in a numbered series '"Fine Woodworking" Techniques' (8 volumes from 1985 to 1986). Later there were more strongly-themed "Best of Fine Woodworking" collections on particular topics such as: "Joinery", "Making and Modifying Machines", "Bending Wood", "Woodshop Specialities" and many others.

Taunton also operates a website for Fine Woodworking.