Modern Woodworking Tools & Tool Collecting
Allen, Hank, ed.
The Tool Shed Treasury : an Anthology of Articles and Stories
1978-1995,
CRAFTS (Collectors of Rare and Familiar Tools Society). Mendham,
N.J. : Astragal Press, 1996.
ISBN: 1879335719
A collection of articles mostly related to American tools and tool collecting.
Allen, Sam.
Plane Basics.
New York: Sterling Pub, 1993.
ISBN: 0806988045
Content
Barlow, Ronald S.
The Antique Tool Collector's Guide to Value.
El Cajon, CA: Windmill Pub. Co., 1985.
229 p. ISBN: 0965075516
Content
Bealer, Alex W.
The Tools that Built America.
Barre, Mass.: Barre Pub, 1976.
212 pp. ISBN: 0517524058
Blackburn, Graham.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools,
Instruments & Devices. 3rd ed.
Bearsville, NY: Blackburn Books, 2000
181 pp. ISBN: 1892585014
Kind of a slimmed-down version of Salaman. A good beginning book on the subject.
Frouard, Jean-Claude.
L'outil du XVIIe au XXe siecle : de la fonction a la
collection 4. ed. de l'ouvrage de l'exposition de 1985.
Saint Martin de la Lieue: Editions du Cabinet d'expertise R.
Verdier, 1990
195 p. : ill. ; 29 cm. TJ1195 .F76 1990
In French. General work for tool collectors.
Garvin, James L.
Instruments of Change: New Hampshire hand tools and their
makers, 1800-1900.
Canaan, N.H. : Published for the New Hampshire Historical
Society by Phoenix Pub., 1985.
113 p. ISBN: 0914659162
An exhibition catalog focusing on New Hampshire tool makers. Nice pictures, good descriptions, and a useful index of New Hampshire tool makers for them what collects.
Gaynor, James M. and Nancy L. Hagedorn.
Tools: Working Wood in Eighteenth-Century America.
Williamsburg: Virginia: The Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation, 1993
126 p. ISBN: 0879350989
An exhibition catalog from an exhibit at Colonial Williamsburg. Pretty much all 18th and early 19th Century stuff, but the pictures are wonderful and the background text is good.
Gaynor, James M., ed.
Eighteenth-century Woodworking Tools: Papers presented at a tool
symposium, May 19-22, 1994.
Williamsburg, Va. : Colonial Williamsburg Foundation,
1997.
248 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Colonial Williamsburg Historic Trades Vol. 3
ISBN: 0879351616
A collection of papers on (surprise) 18th Century tools. Even though the papers focus on 18th Century matters there are several illustrations of medieval and early 17th Century tools and tradesmen.
Hack, Garrett.
Classic Hand Tools.
Newtown, CT: The Taunton Press, 1999.
218 p. ISBN: 1561582735
A follow up to Hack's book on planes (q.v.). Along with the gorgeous photographs and engravings from 19th Century catalogs Hack offers tips on the use, sharpening, and restoration of common woodworking tools. I'm a little disappointed with this book and I think it's because it can't make up its mind whether it's a picture book or a book of practical tips.
Hack, Garrett.
The Handplane Book.
Newtown, Conn.: Taunton Press. 1997.
263p. ISBN: 1561581550
Packed full of gorgeous photographs of 18th and 19th Century tools, but not much information on anything earlier. Along with the photos are some good chapters on tuning and using planes for a variety of purposes.
Grimshaw, Robert.
Grimshaw on Saws, Reprinted from the 1880 version.
Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press, 1991.
ISBN: 096180887X
Everything you need to know about using and maintaining saws. Covers all sorts of saws from jewelers saws up to sawmills.
Kean, Herbert P.
A Price Guide to Antique Tools.
3rd ed.
Mendham, NJ: The Astragal Press, 2001.
ISBN: 1879335972 152 p.
Kean, Herbert P. and Emil S. Pollak.
Collecting Antique Tools.
Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press, 1990.
ISBN: 0961808853 201 p.
A reference book for collectors. Covers all sorts of antique tools from a collector's perspective. Includes what to look for in a tool and where to buy them.
Mannoni, Edith.
Outils des Métiers du Bois. [Woodworkers'
Tools]
Paris: Editions Massin, c. 1975.
64 pp. ISBN: 2707201057
In French. A slim coffee table book with pictures of 18th and 19th century French woodworking tools.
Martin, Richard A.
The Wooden Plane.
n.p.: Early American Industries Association, 1977.
156 p. ill.
A fairly basic introduction to the subject, most valuable for its section on plane construction techniques. Essentially replaced by Whelan's book.
Maryland, University. College of Engineering, Glenn L. Martin
Institute of Technology.
Catalog of exhibit of antique tools at the University of
Maryland from the collection of Herbert T. Shannon. College
Park, MD: The University of Maryland, 1953.
23 p. illus. 20 x 24 cm. TJ1195 .M35
Mostly pictures, but not very clear ones. Very brief captions.
McNerney, Kathryn.
Antique tools: Our American Heritage.
Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 1979.
153 pp. ISBN: 0891451250
Pretty useless. Pictures, but no text. The prices are years out of date. The version Amazon is selling looks like it might be a more recent version.
Mouret Jean-Noel.
Les Outils De Nos Ancetres.
Hatier, Paris, 1994.
176p. ill. ISBN: 2218073668
In French. An illustrated guide to tools from a variety of trades (Woodworking, metalworking, leather textiles, etc.). Quite well illustrated, but none of the pieces are dated. My guess would put most of them in the 19th Century. It is interesting to compare this to the English tool books and look at the regional differences between English and Continental tools.
Nagyszalanczy, Sandor.
The Art of Fine Tools.
Newtown, CT: Taunton Press, 1998.
ISBN: 1561582638
Serious tool drool material - makes you want to hop a plane to Europe and buy tools. I wish he'd put some dates on the tools though.
Pollak, Emil and Martyl.
A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes 4th ed..
Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press, 2001.
ISBN: 1931626006
The standard reference to American plane makers. Mostly useful for collectors.
Pollak, Emil and Martyl.
The Facinating World of Early Tools and Trades: Selections from
"The Chronicle".
Mendham, NJ: The Astragal Press , 1991.
ISBN: 187933500X
A selection of articles from the Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association.
Roberts, Kenneth D.
Wooden Planes in 19th Century America, 2nd
ed..
Fitzwilliam, NH: Ken Roberts Publishing Co., 1978.
ISBN: 0913602264 314 p.
Good coverage of the plane making industry in 19th century America, absolutely nothing medieval.
Proudfoot, Christopher.
Woodworking Tools.
Rutland, Vt. : C.E. Tuttle Co., 1984.
160 p. Christie's Collectors Guides TT186.P76 1984 ISBN:
0804814643
A general guide to tool collecting, but somewhat dated. The pictures are nice for drooling over.
Goodman, W. L. and Rees, Jane and Rees, Mark.
British planemakers from 1700. 3rd ed.
Needham Market : Roy Arnold. 1993.
ISBN: 1879335433
Rees, Jane and Mark Rees.
The tool chest of Benjamin Seaton, 1797.
Swanley, Kent, UK: The Tool and Trades History Society, 1994.
72 pp. ISBN: 0947673075
In December of 1796 Joseph Seaton, a prosperous cabinetmaker of Chatham, England, purchased a complete set of cabinetmakers' tools for his son Benjamin. Benjamin's tools, the chest he made for them, and the inventories he made of his tools have survived to the present. The book is detailed examination of the chest and its contents along with some biographical information on the Seaton family. Very well illustrated with clear photographs of the tools and different parts of the chest. Nothing at all to do with the Middle Ages, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Rees, Jane and Mark Rees.
Tools: A Guide for Collectors. 2nd Edition.
Needham Market, England: Roy Arnold, 1999.
256 p. ill. ISBN: 090463812X
A guide for tool collectors that focuses on British tools. A lively and well-written text copiously illustrated with engravings from 19th Century trade catalogs. Great fun to read even if you don't collect. Includes price information.
Scheidegger, Fritz. Aus der Geschichte der Bautechnik, Bd.
1.
Basel : Birkhäuser, 1994.
[On the History of Building Technique, Vol. 1] ISBN: 3764350695
Scheidegger, Fritz. Aus der Geschichte der Bautechnik, Bd.
2.
Basel : Birkhäuser, 1992.
[On the History of Building Technique, Vol. 2] ISBN:
3764326425
Sellens Alvin.
Woodworking Planes: A Descriptive Register of Wooden Planes.
Augusta, Kansas: Privately printed, 1978
Better illustrated than Whelan's book, but focuses almost entirely on American planes. Has a handy table in the back with model numbers from major plane makers.
Sloane, Eric.
A Museum of Early American Tools.
New York: Ballantine, 1973.
108 pp. ISBN: 0345326113
Really a kid's book. A good introduction to a wide range of colonial tools. The drawings are nice.
Sutcliffe, G. Lister. ed.
Legacy of Wood and Woodworking.
Harrisburg, PA: National Historical Society, 1990.
ISBN: 0918678560
Velter, André.
Le Livre de l'outil. [The Book of the Tool]
Paris: Éditions Hier et demain, 1976.
479 pp. ISBN: 2720600318
In French. A heavily illustrated coffee table book on tools from all trades. Mostly 18th and 19th Century tools, but there are pictures of a couple of 16th Century pieces. There is also a two volume paperback edition that can be had for much less money and seems to have just gone out of print. The link below is to the hardback edition.
Watson, Aldren A.
Country Furniture.
New York: Crowell, 1974.
ISBN: 1558212868
Despite the title, at least half of the book is about how the pieces were made and the tools used to make them. Nothing at all Medieval, but still fun to read.
Welsh, Peter C.
Woodworking Tools, 1600-1900.
Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution; for sale by the
Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Govt. Print. Off., 1966.
A well-done piece on the subject, focusing on the 18th and 19th centuries.
Wildung Frank H.
Woodworking tools at Shelburne Museum.
Shelburne, VT: The Museum, 1957. 79 pp.
A guide to the museum's collection of 18th and 19th Century American tools. Good pictures (although they tend to be a little small) with informative text.
Contents © 2003, Gary R. Halstead