Since I can't comment on that directly, I'll comment here. Hope that is OK.
1) I've enjoyed your writing thus far and am somewhat glad you are on LJ again, as I'm more likely to see what you write when it is there.
2) Tefillin and Mezuzos: A Pictorial Guide, by Yerachmiel Askotzky. The safrut I learned I learned from a very lenient fellow. So this book came across as overly stringent. Did you find that so as well (obviously not so much if you are recommending it, I suppose)
3) Grandfather's tefillin. My understanding is that if tefillin are found to be pasul and irreparably so, they are not sewn closed, even if you ask nicely. When I inherited my grandfather's tefillin, I preferred to keep them closed and as a keepsake rather than have them checked on the off chance that they are kosher. On the other hand, if I didn't already have a pair of my own, I might have decided differently.
no subject
1) I've enjoyed your writing thus far and am somewhat glad you are on LJ again, as I'm more likely to see what you write when it is there.
2) Tefillin and Mezuzos: A Pictorial Guide, by Yerachmiel Askotzky. The safrut I learned I learned from a very lenient fellow. So this book came across as overly stringent. Did you find that so as well (obviously not so much if you are recommending it, I suppose)
3) Grandfather's tefillin. My understanding is that if tefillin are found to be pasul and irreparably so, they are not sewn closed, even if you ask nicely. When I inherited my grandfather's tefillin, I preferred to keep them closed and as a keepsake rather than have them checked on the off chance that they are kosher. On the other hand, if I didn't already have a pair of my own, I might have decided differently.