Hand Hewn

Celebrate the artistry of timber-frame building with this fascinating look at how the natural, organic forms of trees become the framework for a home.

Hand Hewn is a gorgeous exploration of the traditions 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 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