Welcome!
Welcome to Artisan Ideas Publishing. Here you will find truly excellent books written by some of the world’s best teachers and experts in their fields. Domestic clients can order our books here on our site or through your usual supplier.
For Europe and the rest of the world, order from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. This link will bring you directly to our books.
Our Subject Areas
At Artisan Ideas you’ll find jewelry books, blacksmith books, books for knifemakers, and books for lock collectors and locksmiths. We also have books on popular science.
Our Objectives
Artisan Ideas publishes books that are intended to last – in more ways than one. Our subject areas: blacksmithing, jewelry-making, lock-making, knifemaking, etc. are traditional crafts. The information in our books will be just as useful years from now as it is today. Our physical books are also meant to last. All our manuals are hardcovers with lay-flat binding so that craftspeople and students can keep them open to any page.
BOOKSTORES, LIBRARIES & RETAILERS
For queries and domestic orders email us at: Info@ArtisanIdeas.com.
European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop.
For Europe and the rest of the world, BOOKSHOPS and other RETAILERS can send queries or orders to our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
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ANTIQUE LOCKS AND KEYS: THEIR HISTORY, USES AND MECHANISMS
$58.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
2024 GOLD MEDAL WINNER IN HOBBIES AND CRAFTS – INDEPENDENT BOOK PUBLISHERS 2024 BOOK AWARDS CONTEST!!
Antique Locks and Keys covers the history of locks and keys, how their mechanisms developed over the centuries, and how each major art period affected their shape and decoration. Not only are there over one-thousand stunning high-resolution photos of European locks and keys from Roman times through the Industrial Revolution, all with dates, dimensions, and provenance, but the detailed photos and the author’s notes also allow us to examine and understand the workings of the locks’ internal mechanisms.
Hardcover, 290 pages, over 1,000 high-quality color photos, 12-1/4-in. x 9-1/4-in.
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Anvils in America – Richard Postman | 2025 Hardcover Reprint
Original price was: $95.00.$76.00Current price is: $76.00.THIS PRE-ORDER SPECIAL OFFER WILL EXPIRE WHEN STOCK ARRIVES AFTER CHRISTMAS!!
European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
⚠️ PRE-ORDER — SHIPS AFTER CHRISTMAS (Week of January 5, 2026)
THIS SPECIAL OFFER WILL EXPIRE BEFORE 1 JANUARY. ORDER NOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PRICE!
This item is available exclusively as a pre-order. Please order any other Artisan Ideas titles separately if you need them shipped immediately.
Artisan Ideas is proud to present the new 2025 hardcover reprint of Anvils in America by Richard Postman — the definitive anvil reference for blacksmiths, tool collectors, and historians. This large-format 564-page edition includes over 700 illustrations and remains the most authoritative work on anvil makers, identification, and manufacturing history.
Readers can contibute to keeping Anvils in America up-to-date. Visit the book’s Errata and Addenda page.
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FORGED: MAKING A KNIFE WITH TRADITIONAL BLACKSMITH SKILLS
$29.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Hardcover, 132 pages, full color
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MARVELOUS MAGNETIC MACHINES: BUILDING MODEL ELECTRIC MOTORS FROM SCRAP
Original price was: $29.95.$22.46Current price is: $22.46.European customers: Our books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe. Order directly from our European distributor at MNG Bookshop.
2021 GOLD MEDAL WINNER FOR HOBBIES AND CRAFTS, IBPA BOOK AWARDS!
Hardcover, 160 pages,177 photos and illustrations.
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SECRETS OF THE FORGE: BEGINNING AND INTERMEDIATE PROJECTS FOR BLACKSMITHS
$39.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
This large 224-page hardcover book contains 48 different blacksmithing projects.The individual steps of each job are clearly illustrated with high quality close-up color photos.
Hardcover, 225 pages, over 800 high-quality color photos, 9-½-inches x 11-¼-inches.
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ANTLER KNIFE: MAKING A SAMI-STYLE KNIFE HANDLE AND SHEATH
$25.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Hardcover, 112 pages, 208 color photos and drawings, 10-in. x 7-in x .5-in.
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The Glint in the Dragon’s Eye: A Blacksmith’s Journey – Illustrated Novel
Original price was: $14.99.$11.99Current price is: $11.99.⚠️ PRE-ORDER — SHIPS AFTER CHRISTMAS (Week of January 12, 2026)
Save 20%. We are offering The Glint in the Dragon’s Eys at a special pre-order price of only $11.99! Your copy will be reserved and shipped to you on or before 12 January.
A beautifully illustrated coming-of-age fantasy that blends blacksmithing, dragon lore, and personal transformation. Follow Culann as she discovers her craft, her heritage, and the quiet dragon spirit that guides her journey. Featuring 37 original illustrations by Alexandra Mellott.
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PERSIAN LOCKS: 1500 YEARS OF IRANIAN PADLOCKS
$32.50European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Persian Locks is a beautiful award-winning book detailing the lock-making traditions of Iran. With over 500 photos and illustrations, it will take you on a 1500 years lockmaking journey.
Hardcover, 144 pages, 10-inches x 8.5-inches, over 500 full color photos and drawings.
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PRACTICAL WAX MODELING: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES FOR WAX MODELERS
$34.50European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Hardcover, 160 pages, 385 detailed photos and illustrations
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ADDING SPICE TO YOUR WOODTURNING: 20 SALT, PEPPER AND SPICE SHAKER PROJECTS FOR WOODTURNERS
$19.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Hardcover with hidden spiral, 68 pages, fully illustrated
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THE BLACKSMITH’S PROJECT BOOK: INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED PROJECTS FROM EUROPEAN MASTERS
$49.95European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
Hardcover, 248 pages, over 900 color photos.
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Antique Lock and Key Collectors’ Library (Three Book Set)
Original price was: $123.95.$111.55Current price is: $111.55.European customers: Artisan Ideas books are now warehoused in the UK for faster delivery and lower postage costs across Europe and the rest of the world. Order directly from our European distributor, The Mare Nostrum Group, at MNG Bookshop. Bookstores and other retailers outside the US can send queries, or order from our distributor, at: enquiries@mare-nostrum.co.uk.
The Antique Lock and Key Collectors’ Library (Three Book Set) includes the following three books: Antique Locks and Keyes, Locks and keyes Throughout the Ages and Persian Locks. All three books are Hardcover.
