Woodworking has a remarkable way of renewing and reinventing itself while staying firmly tethered to its hundreds of years of history. I could say the same for Fine Woodworking, though our lineage doesn’t go quite that far back! Certainly the changing technologies over the past 40 years have shaped the way that we now deliver content, and how readers/viewers consume it, but the one constant has always been the authors who take the time and effort to share their knowledge. They are the reason for our craft’s continued vitality.

I’ve been a part of making the magazine for 25 years, and have worked on articles by thousands of authors on just about every woodworking topic over that time. If anyone should be tired of the subject by now, it should probably be me. Yet the opposite is true. Every article—even the ones that tread the same territory as those in the past—gives me something new, whether it’s a fresh design perspective or a novel approach to solving a challenge that the craft can throw at us.

This issue’s lineup is a great example of the unique viewpoints that are driving the craft forward today. It is wonderful to see the joy and originality that longtime contributor Mario Rodriguez continues to bring to his work, as well as his nuts-and-bolts knowledge of the craft. Meanwhile, first-time authors Tamar Hannah, Christopher Miano, Pete Michelinie, Jesse Shaw, and Emmet Van Driesche share their insights on an array of topics from charred finishes, carved utensils, and steam-bent lamps to classic veneering techniques and a smart router-table solution. The future of woodworking is in great hands, and I’m happy to have the good fortune to be sitting in a front-row seat.

—Michael Pekovich