3 comments about Gunsmithing - Rifles.

1. "Gunsmithing: Rifles offers an abundance of quality, useful information in the form of specific instruction for home shop projects. I'm not suggesting the book's contents are simplistic, but rather the range of information spans from detail to conceptual, which provides a good foundation of knowledge before projects are attempted.

   There are virtually no chapters that would not be of value to the average firearms enthusiast, so I didn't feel I purchased the book only for the contents of one or two good chapters. There is a section on refreshing hunting rifles. The coverage includes correcting poor accuracy, refinishing wood and metal parts, drilling and taping scope mounts and metallic sights. But the information continues on into action/bolt lapping, rechambering, changing a bolt handle, installing a new safety....

   I would have purchased the book just for the coverage of trigger work. Finally, a current, inexpensive book that provides detailed coverage of trigger replacement and tuning, by rifle manufacturer, including do's and don'ts for each model. I followed the book to clean up the trigger on a Winchester M70 that's been waiting to get dropped off at the gunsmith for the past 8 months, and had excellent results.

   Great book




2. This book is perhaps a good introductory text for those who do not have or do not wish to invest in gunsmithing equipment. Topics covered are largely mundane and include: scope mounting, bedding, boresighting, etc. Much of this information could be had from the instructions that come with the materials listed. There are a few genuine jewels of information that probably make it worth its' modest price. It is a superb book for the neophyte, or someone who simply wishes to be an informed consumer of Gunsmithing services.



3. This book is well written and contains excellent information ... with the caveat that if you are a grizzled veteran in gunsmithing, it's not for you. Having said that, fairly experienced "do-it-yourselfers" might still pick up some info they don't already know. Simply look over the Table of Contents and decide. I would say that the chapter on how to examine used guns alone makes it worth the price. Of course, this book gives a lot more such as scope mounting and trigger adjustments. So if you like to do things yourself, but need a little guidence in unchartered territory, this book is for you. One last comment. This book does not delve into any hardcore work requiring machining, such as truing an action or the like.

2 comments about Chintz: Indian Textiles for the West.

1. Could have been a glorious book but let down by the colour reproductions.I have seen many of these fabrics and quilts and the book does not do them justice.



2. This catalogue of the Indian painted and resist-dyed cotton textiles from the V&A collection is a great source of basic factual information about these wonderful fabrics made for export to Europe and South-East Asia. Moreover, it is accompanied by a wealth of beautiful images containing wonderful overall views of fabrics as well as detailed images of individual pieces. For easy reference, all images have short captions whose more detailed versions are represented by the catalogue entries preceding the illustrated section of the catalogue.

2 comments about Classic Cowboy Stories: Eighteen Extraordinary Tales of the Old West (Classic).

1. Michael McCoy has compiled an enjoyable collection of eighteen cowboy tales written in the late 1800s and early 1900s. I had expected Classic Cowboy Stories to be entirely fictional short stories. However, many entries are chapters taken from novels, biographies, and travel writings. McCoy was careful in his choices; these selections function quite effectively as independent stories. There is no sense of fragmentation or incompleteness.
   
   Several authors were familiar like Owen Wister, Theodore Roosevelt, Frederic Remington, Zane Grey, and O. Henry, but most were new to me, including William MacLeod Raine, Clarence Mulford, Isabella Bird, F. R. Buckley, B. M. Bowers, Frank Benton, Bill Nye, Stewart Edward White, Eugene Rhodes, and Emerson Hough. For those that are counting, there are only fifteen authors; Owen Wister, Zane Grey, and O. Henry each had two selections.
   
   I quite enjoyed these varied stories and I now make a few predictions. First, at some point I will return to this collection and read these stories again. Second, I will track down and read the sources of several of the biographical selections, particularly Theodore Roosevelt's Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail (1888), Isabella L. Bird's A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (1879), and Frederick Remington's Pony Tracks (1895). And third, I will once again read those two classic westerns, Owen Wister's The Virginian and Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage.



2. I bought this book as a gift for my husband's birthday, he enjoyed it very much. I was impressed by the way it was wrapped for shipping and the promptness I received it. Thanks Amy Jones

2 comments about Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love, and Loyalty.

1. This book has a lot of pictures and gives a brief history of the rings. I can look through this book again and again and never get board. I would recommend this book. Well worth what I paid.



2. For anyone who has a reverence and appreciation of finger rings, this is an amazing book. It is packed full of colour illustrations and lots of text. As a bench jewler, this is my favorite Diana Scarisbrick book.

3 comments about A Guide Book of United States Paper Money 2nd Ed. (Official Red Book).

1. The book is loaded with high-quality color pictures of US currency. Half-tones use a fine screen, and (at least in my copy) the colors are printed in register on good paper. The only manufacturing drawback is that the pages are glued in, not sewn.
   
   A nice touch is the inclusion of pictures of uncut sheets printed large enough that you can see the pattern of serial numbers.
   
   The book contains about nine pages of numismatic advertisements.
   
   If you like to look at money, you'll enjoy this book.



2. this is a handy book that covers all U.S. paper money. it's quick and easy to use and is in full color.



3. First let me say THANK YOU to the author/publishers!!! As with the last one, it is a wealth of information necessary to becoming an informed investor/collector of paper money and their books have been instrumental in learning/studying the hobby. The color photos is a definate PLUS along with publishing most (not all of course) of the population totals. This is a MUST HAVE book for the library...and frankly any library. It is truly some of the U.S.A.'s most interesting history. Thanks again!
   
   As for what it could use. First: It mentions nothing about the area of paper currency related to serial # collecting. Their is a large and growing market for Radars, Repeaters, Ladders, Binary's and of course low serial #'s. The kings in these areas like SN # 000000001 or SN # 10000001 are examples that can be found (I know as I found a the latter in a $5 recently) and bring big premiumes over face. Adding this area, discussions, ideas, examples and a rough idea of premium over face would be a great addition.
   Second: While I am glad that they added the population totals to most of the bills (small size only), they are not broken down into the serial # runs which can and do have big breaks in the 8 digit serial #. For Example, the 2003 $10 St. Louis STAR note may have had 780,000 printed, but what isn't broken down is that the first run of 128,000 is the key to the entire series. Their are other books that publish this in great detail and this book would benefit greatly to do the same.
   
   All in all, a great book. I recommend it! especially for kids, teens and young adults. Why? Because the hobby is still in sleep mode and although the Fed prints an incalculable amount of money, their are still key notes out there, that you can find with a little knowledge and patience in sifting through curreny that passes through the hands of you, your friends, the bank teller and any other place where currency is passed.
   
   Truly a great hobby and one I'll be teaching my son.
   
   Best of luck fellow notaphilies!!!!
   
   Update 10/01/2008: I wrote the above comment and would now upgarde my review to 5 STARS!!!! Last night I was sorting though a strap of $2 bill and found the 1976 $2 New York Prefix ERROR (H/A, B/A). Yes, I found it at the BofA Branch in Tempe, AZ and took it off their hands for $2. I am upgrading my earlier comment, because it was especially nice to see this bill listed as the pictured example under MisMatched Serial #'s listed in this book on page 384, VF for $400! No kidding found it last night and as such, I love this book and this hobby. Truly amazing that this bill had been sitting in circulation for all these years and noone found it...until last night. AWESOME!

5 comments about The Clock Repairer’s Handbook.

1. This book was a total waste of money for me. The UK English is nearly impossible to decipher at times. It is very difficult reading. This mihgt be a good book for experts but is worthless to the beginner. The author describes repair in detail, but assumes the reader knows all the technical terms being used without explaining them. The drawings are difficult to decipher. Photos would have been better. If you are a beginner looking for a good book to get started in clock repair, this isn't it!



2. Very difficult book to comprehend. Just about useless as an aid to repairing clocks. I think a lot of it has to do with the language gap between American English and what the people in Britain speak. I am sorry I wasted my money on this book.



3. Excellent book!! Very detailed. It will require study, but is easily understood. And it's ALL in there- ftom nubie to expert. I've purchased 5 books, and this is the last one. I'll never need another.



4. A very concise and detailed book, with many simple graphics but no photographs and certainly not of use to the novice who just wants to clean up and maintain a collection of old clocks.



5. The book arrived quickly, and in good shape. The book has a lot of good information, with clear diagrams.

5 comments about Blue Book of Electric Guitars.

1. My Friend has an addiction to guitars so I purchased this book as a birthday gift three days ago and he hasn't put it down. Great book, very informative and apparently addictive too.



2. Some prices are above what they actually sell for (priced too high) well some prices are below market on EBAY anyway.
   Also they need to expand some area's such as Harmony,Yamaha,Taylor and Blueridge,excellent overall guide to Acoustic Guitars aand there prices.
   Blue book has set the standard for all.
   They do an excellent job on Gibson and Martin both but too little info on small names.
   Maybe i should write a book of Yamaha Acoustic Guitars?
   These are very popular on EBAY and are considered the poor man's Martin,which includes me by the way.
   Good amount on the history of companies that Manufacture Guitars which i find interesting,facts most people do not know or realize.
   Gives buyer's the uphand on what price to pay for what condition,as well as an very good examples shown in pictures.
   I would rate this a 5 but there is too much info missing in there guide which forces me to use several.I wish some day they could make this more complete so i only need to buy one.But otherwise i depend on it.
   If you do not own this you are either a genius with one of the best memories on this planet or you are operating in the dark ages.



3. This is an excellent guide for serious buyers & sellers of musical instruments, and gives a fair appraisal of their market's value (in this case, electric guitars) together with historical information & background.



4. Needed reference if you have anything to do with guitars. Well done and helps to peg odd guitars.



5. I've used this book for years for all my guitar buying and selling needs along with the Vintage Guitar Guide. My only complaint is that they have yet to add many of the smaller niche guitar makers over the years and the burgeoning market in house brands is not well covered ( Airline, Supro, etc). Otherwise it has most of the information you'll ever need. Don't take the pricing as the absolute word though, the market fluctuates a lot and prices can be dramatically above or below what is quoted in this book. Use it as a baseline and you're fine, at least you'll always know if that guitar your friend or neighbor wants to sell you is junk or of some value.

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly Part I - Automatic Pistols (Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly).

1. This book is an excellent guide for disassembly. It is worthless as a guide for reassembly. There are no step-by-step instructions for reassembling a firearm. At best, the book assumes that reassembly is the reversal of the steps involved in disassembly. This is not necessarily so. I would not recommend this book to a hobbyist.



2. This book and all the others in the series are invaluable to the professional gunsmith, firearms hobbiest, or the casual gun owner who just likes to "see how things work" but can't always quite remember whether this little spring went in here, or over there.



3. This book is very good at step-by step instructions. The pictures are well taken of the actual part you are working on. There could be more model numbers to go over, but the ones they have are very good. The author is exerienced in gun repair and it shows up in the "tip" portion of every model. I think a list of specialty tools would benifit the author in this book, since each model of firearm needs at least one special tool. Not all, but most. Listing those would benifit the less experienced gunsmith. Thank you



4. "...Some points in complete disassembly and reassembly may require the special tools and skills of a gunsmith.
   It can usually be managed by a very knowledgeable amateur, but there must be some mechanical aptitude.
   SINCE THIS BOOK IS INTENDED FOR BOTH THE AMATEUR AND THE PROFESSIONAL, even the simpler operations are often described and shown in detail....."
   [from the book of the introduction]



5. I have a small collection and was asked by my neighbor, to clean his Colt 1903 32cal automatic. Well, it's take down is not like more recent weapons and the the step by step illustrations were a great help in getting that puppy cleaned and rearing to go.
   
   Andy Davis

5 comments about A Guide Book of United States Coins 2008.

1. This book accomplished just what i purchased it for. I needed to value my coin collection that was not reviewed for many years. The spiral bound edition was particularly useful when looking up many different coins.



2. I ordered three books to give to clients as gifts. After I had ordered them I wondered if they would make it on time. They were here early. The books were exactly as described, brand new. The price was the cheapest on the net. The shipping was free. This product and service really deserve a 10.



3. Amazon advertised the latest, 2008 version of A Guidebook of US Coins, copywrite 2007, which I purchased. Two weeks later Amazon advertises the 2009 version. I firmly believe Amazon owes me the 2009 version & I go on record for such.



4. Hello , I am new to coin collecting so I needed a guide. I wanted some knowledge of the field I was about to enter. This book does that , not only price guide but much much more, full of information and nicely laid out in a easy to read format. Really good basic stuff.



5. excellant source for coin collectors just starting in. clear & consise with many interesting facts and stories regarding coins.

5 comments about Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide 1800-1960.

1. Excellent. It's a keeper and is now on my reference shelf. It was hard reading but the best book by far with the pictures and text for dating my fabrics. It really helped in dating my quilts.



2. This is a great book and took a lot of time and research to put together, although it did not help me. It seemed to have more northern than southern information.



3. This book is a great addition to my historical fabrics/quilt collection. I really appreciate the hardback cover and the spiral binding!! It has
   excellent photographs.



4. When paging through this colorful book, Dating Fabrics: A Color Guide 1800-1960, imagine my tremendous joy when I found THE yellow flowered fabric featured in my most prized quilt, dating it between 1830-1860!
   
   This very well researched and comprehensive collection introduces each time period from "Pre-1830 'A New Nation' with a thorough introduction of the era and the history of quilts and fabrics. Following are 1-inch x 1-inch photo swatches of the fabrics arranged by print style and colors.
   
   A wonderful reference book for those who make, collect or simply appreciate this art form.



5. This book is going to take some studying for me to really "get it". Fabrics from eras before 1900 all tend to look similar to me because of the different dyes that were used then, compared to later. The prints look the same to me. I was hoping to get more of a sense of each distinct era but while studying this book could give me that, it seems to be more of a resource for looking up fabrics one finds on old quilts. And it couldn't possibly be complete enough for that. I haven't spent a lot of time with the book yet but this is my impression at this point. Nothing else like it for sale though!