Ryan and Tanya come as a pair. Although the strengths they bring to M&T are different, their many years together has made them a cohesive and wonderfully interdependent couple. I first met Ryan a few years back when he was working at the legendary Liberty Tool Company. Ryan was the red bearded guy whose insights and advice won him fan mail from around the country. As woodworkers vacation through Maine to visit the woodworker’s Mecca in Liberty, they often feel overwhelmed by the endless shelves jammed to the brim with ready-to-restore antique hand tools. Ryan, in his characteristic soft-spoken lucidity, would help align each customer’s purchase to their intended use. (In fact, this...
I'll be the first to admit I have no idea how to run a magazine. I started this publication assuming this hand-tool-only pre-industrial publication would be too narrow to generate broad interest. When I began to realize how wrong I was, I called Megan Fitzpatrick of Popular Woodworking for help. See, one of the downsides to self-published material is that there is often no copy editor to make sure all the i's are dotted and t's crossed before it goes to print. I told Megan that I didn't want to rely on my inadequate grammar skills as the final pair of eyes. Thankfully, she agreed to join the M&T team as copy editor. If you found M&T intelligible, thank Megan. She's got...
When I began wading into editing Issue One’s manuscripts, I quickly realized I needed help. I saw the need for an experienced editor who could bring expertise and tact to the table. The very first person to come to mind was a blogger I had recently befriended named Jim McConnell. McConnell’s writing over at The Daily Skep impressed me right out the gate. His candid, personal, and fluid word crafting was unlike most of the other writing I had seen online. Jim’s training and previous experience as a writer and editor clearly set his work apart from the rest. When I approached Jim about his availability to join the Mortise & Tenon team, I was delighted to hear his enthusiasm. I...
Mike and I first became close friends through the house project my wife and I began last summer. I hired him as an extra pair of hands and was blown away by his efficiency of work. He worked carefully and precisely at a rate not many could keep up with. That is not common. I knew that when the time came to hire someone on part time in my studio Mike was the very first person on my list. Since December last year, Mike has been working on projects with me to try and keep some furniture moving through my studio. This has worked out wonderfully. Not only is he a conscientious worker but he is also a good friend and...
