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I've gone from hobbyist to almost-full time professional woodworker over the past few years, making everything from small desk clocks to custom cabinetry and furniture. I'd have to roger up with the other reviewers who've said that, if they could only have one woodworking magazine, this would be it.
Strengths -- I don't care where you are in your woodworking skill/experience level; you WILL find something worth a careful read in each issue. I've subscribed to several other woodworking magazines of which that could not be said. Yes, much of what is featured/discussed in these magazines is "high-level" stuff. That's how you grow as a woodworker. There needs to be at least one journal for any profession that takes on the finer points on a consistent basis. THIS IS IT for the profession of woodworking. What's new in water-based finishes (a lot!), veneering, dovetails on a curved drawer front (haven't tried THAT one yet!) -- just a few of the kinds of stuff you can expect to find in FWW. Four or five years ago I may have disregarded this magazine as "too much" for me; then again, I cringe at the quality and worksmanship of some of my "handiwork" from that same time!
The contributors to this magazine (I've met a few) are some of the most accomplished, yet down-to-sawdust people you'd ever meet in this business. Most of them are making a living working wood, and are happy to share lessons of both success and failure to help the reader.
Weaknesses? Well, as has been mentioned, you won't find many diagrams or drawings to help you step-by-step. Personally, I don't consider that a drawback, and it's not part of the magazine's mission to provide them. If you're out to basically cut out and assemble a kit every so often, you'll want to look elsewhere.
If, on the other hand, you want to develop your knowledge of one of the oldest crafts in history, to get to the point that you can conceive, design, draft, and build (oh, yeah -- and finish!) one -- or a hundred -- quality works in wood, then this is well worth the annual subscription.
2.) Sooner or Later...
Reviewed by: lazarus17 Tooele, UT United States
Rating:
Many have heard the old Copenhagen snuff ad that stated, "Sooner or later it is Copenhagen!". Well, that is exactly how it goes with Fine Woodworking. Some say it isn't filled with enough projects and they are too difficult, some say the articles are way too technical, and even others say that the reviews are too critical. Response: Yes and no. If you don't want your tools to last a lifetime, then the reviews are too critical. If you want a project that you can be proud of your entire life and look at with pride, knowing it will become a family heirloom, then the projects are not to difficult, and after you spend 100 hours building something and another 30 to 50 hours sanding and finishing it, there aren't too few. And if you sincerely believe that ignorance is bliss, and education is the root of evil, then yes the articles are too technicle.
For anyone that wants to become the best woodworker they can, then this is the magazine for you. Many start out with other magazines, "BUT SOONER OR LATER IT IS FINE WOODWORKING"!
3.) The BEST
Reviewed by: jr massachusetts USA
Rating:
Of all the woodworking magazines available to read Fine Woodworking is the best, bar none. It will encourage those with no experience, and inspire those who are serious about woodworking. I have subscribed to this magazine for the past 12 years, and have read many articles that have helped me to become a better woodworker. The old issues I have saved for reference and are timeless in their information.
4.) The Most Inspiration Per Board Foot
Reviewed by: The Noh Hare™ Warren, MI USA
Rating:
Taunton's Fine Woodworking has occupied the high-end niche of woodworking magazines for some time. This isn't really a matter of having the most expensive tools (although reviews of $300 shoulder planes do crop up), but instead its about attitude. The magazine is for people who don't like to settle for second best in their woodwork. So a tool has to be good before it earns a recommendation, and while price is not the major consideration, Fine Woodworking readers want their money to be well spent.
But the magazine is very much about people who are willing to built 12-coat finishes, or who are looking for the little techniques that lift their work out of the ordinary. The are looking for examples of exceptional work to expand their own cluster of ideas, and the are not afraid to experiment.
Most Fine Woodworking articles dive deep. Especially when a craftsperson takes a reader through a project of their own. These articles are exceptionally thorough covering not just the construction, but also the theory behind the pieces. This is a methods and artistry magazine, and it is hard to put it down without acquiring a new idea or approach.
5.) Fine-est Woodworking
Reviewed by: Oldthumbs Aurora, IL USA
Rating:
Once upon a time there was a magazine published on glossy paper, oversized, and printed in black and white. It covered high-quality, slightly artsy, woodworking and woodworkers. Sometimes it was a little hard for the average home woodworker to relate to some of the content, but it was a compelling magazine none-the-less. Yes, that magazine was Fine Woodworking, in its early incarnation.
Since that time, Fine Woodworking has developed into a mainstay of the woodworking world. Long printed in full color, the magazine continues to offer coverage of some of the more esoteric woodworking designs and woodworkers, but most of the content is geared towards the dedicated woodworking enthusiast. While it seems that most of the content is dedicated to furniture buiilders, there is something for everything in this magazine. If you are looking for home repair and carpentry, you won't find it here, but you will find information on woodworking techniques, tools and finishing.
I subscribe to few magazines because I just don't have the time to read them all. For woodworking , this is the one magazine I will not do without.
6.) Getting better and broadening its audience
Reviewed by: Stephen Colorado Springs, CO
Rating:
FWW is the standard for WWing magazines. It has gotten much better in including more tips, tricks, and tutorials for those WWers who are more hobbyist level, I would say that is very welcome. Each issue has at least an item or two I would like to do, or implement, or learn....they have greatly improved the drawings and article support information (no full-sized plans if you like that sort of thing)
If I had only one WWing mag, i would select this one, a few years ago i would not have.
if you are a mid level WWer, you will expand your abilities with this mag and be inpsired to do greater/more difficult techniques and pieces....price is a little steep compared to other mags, but you will find yourself keeping these, because something you read may not be used today, but next year you will want to read the article again.
I really like that the major articles can be read on the binding when the magazine is sitting on your shelf...like national geographic.
7.) Only subscription that lasted
Reviewed by: J. Quyen Arana Norman, Oklahoma United States
Rating:
I jumped into woodworking four years ago and have had 5 woodworking magazine subscriptions over the four years. I started with Fine Woodworking and now it's all that's left. Nothing else compares.
If you think the price is too high (compared to the others) just remember: like woodworking tools, you get what you pay for.
8.) It isn't a snob magazine... it's FINE woodworking!
Reviewed by: Darryl Hammonds Twentynine Palms
Rating:
This is one of the best woodworking magazines out there with great articles on all subjects. Very inspiring. Look, if you just want to make a few toys and furniture made out of construction grade 2x4, which there is nothing wrong with, look elsewhere. I personally believe the reviewer that called this magazine a snob magazine doesn't even truely woodwork but maybe once a year if that. I haven't meet a woodworker yet that doesn't desire to rise to the level of the projects in Fine Woodworking. Even if you aren't that good you should still read it. Read it, apply it, and you will get better!
9.) The best
Reviewed by: www.andrewviolette.net Hoffman Estates, IL United States
Rating:
This is the best woodworking magazine. It has a nice balance between projects, general instruction for newbies, and advance techniques for intermediate and advanced woodworkers. This is where all the 'famous' woodworkers write: Garret Hack, Chris Becksvoort, Mike Dunbar, and others.
The magazine is glossy and the binding is nice, so it keeps well in the bookshelf, unlike some of my Popular Woodworking and American Woodworker magazines.
I'm constantly referring back to my old issues for ideas and techniques.
10.) A Total Winner
Reviewed by: oddwoods Athens, Texas USA
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Over the years I have watched this magazine go from good to great. I can't wait for the next issue. If your a serious about learning woodworking, then this is the magazine for you! Each issue is full of great articles and valuable information. You will also enjoy seeing some of the reader's work. Very inspiring!
11.) Five Stars on my 5th Year Renewal of FINE WOODWORKING!
Reviewed by: Peter Vincent Cannice of Scottsdale Arizona Scottsdale, Arizona USA
Rating:
To sort of celebrate my 5th year renewal of "Fine Woodworking" I decided to take a moment to write a concise review of what I consider to be one of the best woodworking periodicals available on the market. I enjoy woodworking and find it to be my most favorite hobby. As a result of my great interest in woodworking, I spend a few dollars a year (probably a little more than I should be spending) on 4 magazines have strong woodworking themes.
Of all the periodicals and magazines I've ever read, there is no doubt the "Fine Woodworking" is the best of all. It is superior to some very good competitors. The competition, however, just never measures up to the consistency and creativity that this magazine has to offer.
When I started at this wonderful hobby, I was a true novice. I knew nothing at all. Even though I was just beginning to learn the very basics of woodworking, having taken a couple of community college courses, a professor made a personal suggestion that I subscribe to a really good woodworking magazine-for a number of really important reasons. I'm the type of guy who wants to spend his money on the best, rather than waste money on a more affordable competitors that don't deliver the same sort of quality that I've come to expect.
So I subscribed to "Fine Woodworking" and it was one of the better decisions I've ever made-regarding a purchase of this type. The magazine is so good that I took the time to actually place them in binders so I could keep them all in great shape and also so I could reference them at anytime in the future.
I started as a total novice and started to learn great techniques with my very first issue. As time passed and as I became more and more proficient, I felt like no matter what level I was at, "Fine Woodworking" always had great information for me to learn from.
So it doesn't matter whether you're at the very beginning of this great journey into woodworking or if you're on your 200th project from ideas you picked up on from the magazine, I guarantee you that each and every issue will have something in it that will seem perfect just for you.
The articles and editorials are always fascinating and I've even connected with a number of advertisers to purchase some products at very reasonable prices. You really can't go wrong and you can cancel at anytime! (smile) But I don't think you'll cancel as "Fine Woodworking" deserves this 5 Star Rating on the advent of my 5th Year Renewal.
Happy Reading and Happy Woodworking to ALL! Thanks for taking the time to read my review. It's nice that you took the time to read some of my thoughts that I prepared to help you in making your decision.
Warm Regards to All!
Pete Cannice in Scottsdale, Arizona
Email: Horsepete@aol.com
12.) Great magazine for any woodworker
Reviewed by: Mark Hochstein Maryland
Rating:
This is, in my opinion, one of the top two or three woodworking magazines in America. Reading it with raise the level of your craft.
(Ammended) I now give it 4 stars (****) I've been subscribing to this magazine for almost over 8 years and I feel that it definitely helped raise the level of my craft significantly in the beginning - and still does today, but to a much lesser extent. I find a lot of the content to be repetitive. The tool reviews are excellent.
13.) Challenges Your Skills
Reviewed by: M. Vikla
Rating:
I have been a subscriber since the premier issue in 1975. Back then my workshop was a 4 by 8 foot room in front of my carport and my only power tool was an electric drill. The second issue prompted me to make my first hand cut dovetails. The main benefit I still get out of the magazine is it gives me the confidence to try new projects that demand new skills. While I buy Woodwork regularly, and occasionally other magazines at the news stand, Fine Woodworking is the only magazine I subscribe to year after year.
14.) Great resource
Reviewed by: wiredweird Earth, or somewhere nearby
Rating:
This magazine has something for woodworkers at every level, from raw beginner to professional. The mix of articles includes side by side product comparisons, how-to pieces at different levels, tool sharpening hints, finishing materials and techniques, and photo galleries of magnificent work.
This month, the tool test covers a range of cabinet saws, roughly in the $1K-3K range. It applies the same criteria to each model, with emphasis on the precision of the machine parts - an absolute necessity for precision in the finished work. The nicely echoes another article on setting up your own machine tools, with directions for checking their accuracy for yourself.
Some articles are aimed specifically at the novice, while others clearly assume advanced skills and a well-equipped shop. Speaking as someone with low-to-mid skills, I find both useful. I'm a bit beyond some of the advice, and not ready to use other parts of it, but I like that. It gives me something to look forward to, when I'm free to get back to woodworking again. It's an enjoyable bit of wishful thinking in the mean time, but a lot more presentable than that other kind of "men's magazine".
//wiredweird
15.) The pinnacle has lost its point
Reviewed by: New England Yankee Northern New England
Rating: 
Fine Woodworking (FWW) was the pre-emininent woodworking magazine for the craftsman market in the US for many years. From a sales standpoint, it probably still is. From an overall quality and value standpoint, it is not.
Breaking it down into a few categories:
Production qualities - still excellent. FWW is a beautiful magazine. Pictures are usually superb. Writing is good to excellent and editing is air-tight.
Depth of articles - fallen over the years. Second now to Woodwork magazine.
Tool reviews - generally good, but often aren't always comprehensive in coverage of available tools. I find in practice that I can never rely on FWW reviews alone.
Art Quality and Fine Craft content - distinctly second place to Woodwork magazine.
Tips and Techniques - superficial filler content.
Value - FWW has become expensive, considering the fall-off in content quality.
I'm a current subscriber and intend to continue. I also subscribe to the FWW online site, which provides enhanced content and video, though I have to say that much of the online site is very dated. My opinion of FWW has declined over the years to where I "only" regard it as a very good magazine, but not a great one. My advice is to subscribe to several others if you want to read about truly fine work. In the US, Woodwork magazine is at the top of the list.
16.) Overpriced magazine
Reviewed by: J. Voos Northern Cal, USA
Rating: 
I have been a subscriber for many years, but for $34.95, it just isn't worth it anymore. Woodwork is a better magazine with more original content. I just can't see putting out this much for an advertising based magazine. Look elsewhere, like used books for lasting content for much less. The magazine has always had an "east coast" bias, which is fine, but the lack of diversity of the woodworking styles represented is not excusable in a magazine supposed to be covering the furniture building audience. If you ever can get your hands on some of the earlier copies, you will be amazed at the quality of writers and articles then compared with now.
I would recommend Popular Woodworking if you are interested in hand tools and methods. Seems a little fresher these days. Or for a more artistic bent, look at Woodwork magazine.
17.) Great for starting out, but now i'm bored
Reviewed by: Derek York Main Street USA
Rating:
After 6 years I'm finally letting my subscription end. Its a great magazine for starting out, but after a while the articles begin seeming to be very alike. New ideas are now a rarity in Fine Woodworking, and that was the original reason that I subscribed. There are very few technique articles and too many tool reviews. And I've become skeptical of those review articles--primarily because many, but not all, are not rigorous scientific tests and are subject to the author's preferences, yet those articles are not presented that way. Furthermore, I believe that the magazine in general has dropped considerably in quality and definitely in content over the past few years. I'd have given it 5 stars in the begining, but now its just average.
18.) Repeated Content
Reviewed by: B. C. Murray Los Angeles, CA United States
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If you subscribe to more than one Taunton Direct publications you will start to see some of the same content repeated. After getting both Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding I'm not suprised to see similar stories.
19.) Snob magazine
Reviewed by:
Rating:
This overpriced magazine is great for the elitist woodworker, but it is hopelessly out-of-touch with most woodworkers, even those with advanced skills. It has few projects, and the few project articles it does have are totally lacking in the details and illustrations needed to actually build the project. Makes me wonder why the magazine includes these articles at all. The articles on techniques get into esoteric details that are completely absurd. Sure, a machinist has to be concerned about a few thousandths when it comes to cutting accuracy, but a woodworker? This book is worn as a badge of snobbery, but it is of little practical value to the average reader.
20.) Poor buisiness practices
Reviewed by: WAH Illinois, USA
Rating: 
Started my subscription in March of 2008. Got my first copy (April issue) week of April 7th, 2008. Got two more issues (June and February)next week (April 14th.) They had backdated my subscription to January 10, 2008, and had sent me back issues from thier trash bin. I have now gotten six months of magazines in two weeks. I have had them do this also for Fine Home Building and Wooden Boat.
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