Hand Hewn

Hand Hewn is a gorgeous celebration of the traditions and artistry of timber-frame building, a 7,000-year-old craft that holds an enduring attraction for its simple elegance and resilience. Internationally renowned timber-frame architect and craftsman Jack A. Sobon offers a fascinating look at how the natural, organic forms of trees become the framework for a home, with profiles of the classic tools he uses to hand hew and shape each timber, and explanations of the engineering of the wooden joinery that connects the timbers without a single nail. Inspiring photos of Sobon s original interior home designs, as well as historical examples of long-lived structures in Europe and North America, make this a compelling tribute to the lasting value of artisanal craftsmanship and a thoughtful, deliberate approach to designing buildings.

“"Drawing on 7,000 years of tradition, Sobon, an architect who specializes in timber-frame buildings, showcases timber-framed porches, rooms, barns, and houses - all built without hammering a single nail." -- Publishers Weekly "Sobon has spent his career turning trees into magnificent structural frameworks for buildings that satisfy our yearning for real strength, warmth, and honesty." -- Max Jacobson, architect and coauthor of A Pattern Language and Patterns of Home " Hand Hewn is an invitation -- through gorgeous photographs, clear drawings, and enticing text -- to follow the passion and experience of a visionary master craftsman, historian, and poet whose work and philosophy are sure to inspire you." -- Philippe Petit, high wire artist and author of Man on Wire "An essential book for every builder -- of anything -- revealing the world of timber framing from a true master craftsman." -- Will Beemer, author of Learn to Timber Frame and director of the Heartwood School for the Homebuilding Crafts”

"Drawing on 7,000 years of tradition, Sobon, an architect who specializes in timber-frame buildings, showcases timber-framed porches, rooms, barns, and houses - all built without hammering a single nail." -- Publishers Weekly

"Sobon has spent his career turning trees into magnificent structural frameworks for buildings that satisfy our yearning for real strength, warmth, and honesty." -- Max Jacobson, architect and coauthor of A Pattern Language and Patterns of Home

"Hand Hewn is an invitation -- through gorgeous photographs, clear drawings, and enticing text -- to follow the passion and experience of a visionary master craftsman, historian, and poet whose work and philosophy are sure to inspire you." -- Philippe Petit, high wire artist and author of Man on Wire

"An essential book for every builder -- of anything -- revealing the world of timber framing from a true master craftsman." -- Will Beemer, author of Learn to Timber Frame and director of the Heartwood School for the
Homebuilding Crafts

Jack A. Sobon is an architect and builder specializing in timber-framed buildings. A founding director of the Timber Framer s Guild of North America and founder of the Traditional Timber Frame Research and Advisory Group, Sobon has devoted his 38-year career to understanding the craft of timber framing. Using only traditional hand tools, he has framed and erected over 50 structures. He is the author of Build a Classic Timber-Framed House and coauthor of Timber Frame Construction. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Sobon teaches and consults nationally on traditional building structures and timber-framing techniques.

"Wood is the material most like man," writes master timber framer and architect Jack A. Sobon. He has devoted his life to developing a kinship with wood and with the hand tools he uses to shape it into graceful timber frames that can make an indoor environment feel simultaneously cozy and connected to the trees and forests out of which it was built. Through the lens of his personal history, accompanied by stunning photos of structures both ancient and modern, Sobon offers a unique celebration of the 7,000-year-old craft of timber framing.

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