Difference between Shopnotes and Woodsmith

Which Woodworking magazine do you like?

  • Shopnotes

    Votes: 30 83.3%
  • Woodsmith

    Votes: 18 50.0%

  • Total voters
    36
  • Poll closed .

Bob Anderson

Member
Messages
12
I am going to subscribe to one of these mag and would like to know what is the main difference between them and which one you subscribe to.
 
Bob, been a while since I seen an issue of either, but from what I remember Shopnotes is geared towards shop related articles, benches, storage, jigs, techniques, etc. Woodsmith leans toward projects, how to's, plans, finishes and stuff.

I used to get both before I trimmed down the number of subscriptions I was getting. Both, back then, were excellent publications. As I said, I haven't read either in several years.

Good Luck, Tony.
 
Yeah, Tony's got it. I've subscribed to both since their beginnings, but may drop both when the current subs expire. I haven't gotten much out of either lately.
 
Another vote, for I get both. If I had to choose, hmm... Probably be Shopnotes. I can get all the Woodsmith info here. The Shopnotes give me very detailed ideas as they tend to think out of the box, some what.
 
I look at them as one magazine you need two subscriptions to get! They are published every other month as well, so only 6 of each per year...

But I do like them both. They just seem to complement each other pretty well.

I'd say it depends on what you are working on. Getting your shop in gear, well, shopnotes. Making furniture projects and such, well, then Woodsmith... :thumb:
 
I'm not a "Loyal Customer" I switch when it seems to be a repeated report rag. I also have Fishing mags and switch them from year to year. It seems to me that over time each of them become redundant and so I switch (when ever grandkids are selling mags for their schools)

Which is better? Which has more info between advertisements? Which is atuned to what projects you are interested in...?:huh::dunno:
 
+1 on what Toni said. If you are setting up shop, Shop Notes has lots of good stuff. If you are pretty much setup, switch to Woodsmith. I haven't gotten Woodsmith for awhile but, I used to prefer their projects. The person writing the article actually built the project so you get a lot of good insight as to sequence and 'gotchas'. There is also a "Shop Notebook" section that will cover and special setups or techniques used in the main project.
 
I aint a subscriber to either but by the shopnotes off the shelf. I plan on changing that when my subscription to wood mag runs out. I agree with Glenn I find the shopnotes useful for workshop setup.

By the way they have some "special" magazines on specific subjects that are very good. loaded with tips and online extras.

Take a look at this one i just purchase on Tablesaws.

On the back of the magazine they have a code for another site where there is a whole bunch of online extras.
 
In the past I get woodsmith and really liked it. I don't know why I let my subscription lapse. I've been meaning to resubscribe. I like the way the mag is laid out also.

I bought a bunch (about 100) of shopnotes mags a couple of years ago for like 30 bucks. I've gotten several useful tips from them. They have a lot of neat jigs and fixtures for just about any tool in the shop.
 
Last edited:
Last year I got ShopNotes. This year I am getting WoodSmith. I prefer ShopNotes at this point because I am still outfitting my shop with jigs and stuff. Project ideas normally come from the customer, so I have no real issues. I do like the techniques that are covered in WoodSmith.
 
Top