Christopher Schwarz promotes Roman workbenches through experimental archaeology

Christopher Schwarz published Ingenious Mechanicks to share his research on ancient Roman workbenches and their practical applications for modern woodworkers.

Schwarz traveled to foreign countries and visited museum basements to study 2,000-year-old workbenches. He spent thousands of dollars attempting to translate a 1505 Germanic codex and analyzed old paintings to understand how these tools functioned. He built reproductions of these low benches to test their ergonomics and portability.

The author argues that these benches are ideal for modern users because they are portable and accessible to people with mobility limitations. While the book is his slowest selling work, Schwarz notes that woodworkers are increasingly adopting the Roman bench design in shops around the world.