The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools, Instruments & Devices - 9781940611020

This book is a comprehensive pictorial index of those woodworking handtools common in the Western civilization from eighteenth century to the present. Not only a fascinating record of trades and skills – from cabinetmakers to wheelwrights – in an age before powertools became the norm, The Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools Instruments & Devices also emerges as a remarkable tribute to man’s technological ingenuity.More than 600 tools are listed and described here, both alphabetically and fully cross-referenced for easy access, from the adze, awl, bevel, and bit to the wrest, yardstick, and zig-zag rule, complete with explicit definitions, many interesting etymologies, and much fascinating historical information.This classic reference contains more then 570 detailed line-drawings, accompanied by an expert’s authoritative text. Whether uses a handy guide book to identify a tool and its use, or read simply for enjoyment, this book stands along in capturing for all time the sophisticated beauty and inventiveness of woodworking handtools.