OLD MASTERS OF THE WEST by...

OLD MASTERS OF THE WEST by Chase Reynolds (Country Roads Press: $14.95; 110 pp., illustrated, paperback original). Although writers and historians debate when the Frontier closed, the West remains open and free for the 15 traditional artisans profiled in this attractive book. Evelyn Wheeler beads deerskin clothing; Rusty May makes saddles; Will Stone builds stagecoaches; Arlene Pile spins and weaves the wool from the sheep she raises. Each individual continues to make things by hand, with a commitment to excellence and the spirit of the past.