Articles, Books, and DVDs
by Frank Klausz

Review by Mark Gazella – August 2008

I regret writing such a brief article about Mr. Klausz last month. So much so that I did some additional research on him over the last few weeks in order to provide a little more information about this supremely talented individual. I'm hoping this will make up for my abbreviated piece last time! As I originally stated, he ranks among the best in terms of skill and ability to teach. He's one of those folks that I can't really hear enough about - truly an inspiration.

I talked about Dovetail a Drawer last month, but Mr. Klausz has actually produced five videos over the last several decades;

Biscuit Joinery - how to employ biscuit joinery in cabinetry and bookcases
Hand Tools - how to tune and use hand tools for precision joinery
Dovetail A Drawer - see last month's article!
Woodfinishing - his essential techniques for producing an ideal finish
Making Mortise and Tenon Joints - how to fashion M&T joints using either hand or power tools

Aside from his celebrity in video production, I learned he also wrote several books early in his career. However, I don't find these offered by popular booksellers. I believe they are no longer in print, and would have to be acquired second-hand through book fairs, e-bay, or some such avenue. Folks are clamoring for a printed version of his DVDs, so I suspect his books are hard to come by.

I must emphasize there are literally hundreds of references to Mr. Klausz on the web. A few obvious sites are Popular Woodworking, The Taunton Press, and articles from American Woodworker. He's been a contributor to all of these for many years. Much of his sage advice can be found in issues of Popular Woodworking, along with somewhat unique articles such as Must-Have Tools for Woodworkers, a Master Cabinetmaker's Toolchest, and Hand Tool Maintenance. There's simply too much to list regarding what he's provided in Fine Woodworking - in fact, they claim over 266 references to him! Not all are his articles, but a combination of his words and those of others that include references to Mr. Klausz or his completed projects.

I also found several blogs that were informative as well as entertaining. One such entry describes how Frank came to America as a young man, looking to learn additional skills to augment what his father and grandfather taught him in Hungary. In the early 70's he signed up for a seminar on joinery, taught by a wood glue representative. As the seminar wore on Frank became frustrated as the teacher espoused his own method of joinery; slog on a bunch of his glue, hold until setup with spring clamps, and move on. Frank was so irate he demanded his money back and stormed out! This event was ostensibly what drove him to host seminars once he gained recognition as a credible professional.

Another site describes how Frank came to associate with FWW. He was sitting in a barber shop one day, thumbing through periodicals when he saw advertising for a magazine with the professional woodworker in mind. He decided to subscribe, but upon receipt of his first issue was soon disappointed. He called the publisher to complain, who answered by sending two representatives to his cabinetmaker's shop the very next day! They were awed by his simple yet exacting method of work, and formed friendships almost immediately. This led to more introductions among woodworking circles, which eventually included a meeting with Tage Frid. Apparently these two held opposing views on a number of aspects regarding how to work wood (early issues of FWW actually hold point-counterpoint discussions between the two). They maintained a "Jekyll 'n Hyde" style friendship for many years; they bickered and argued during work hours, but turned off all animosity toward each other at quitting time (incidentally, Tage Frid passed away in 2004). My understanding is they really enjoyed each other's company after hours.

There's much more to this man beyond the physical energy he directs towards his craft. He is generous with his apprenticeship program, and always has several students on-hand to assist with projects as they learn the trade. He's not shy about his opinions, and makes very clear his proclivity towards shortcuts and shoddy workmanship. And he's quite the humanitarian. I read he collects medical equipment provided by U.S. hospitals; all apparatus either discarded or obsolete. He has them reconditioned at his own expense, then ships them to his native Hungary for renewed use.

There is a wealth of information on the web about Mr. Klausz, and I took notes as I traversed a variety of sites, blogs, chat sessions, etc. I chose what I thought were some interesting features of Frank's life and work, and paraphrased them here for you to enjoy. I hope that you do. I plan to have his Dovetail A Drawer DVD available for checkout at the next general member meeting.