Product Description

A celebration of the world's finely-crafted antique tools. It features more than 250 woodworking tools built over the last three centuries, lavished with artistic decoration or made for remarkable precision. There are pictures of the tools, along with historical and technical information.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #233592 in Books
• Published on: 2008-07-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nagyszalanczy begins his book with this simple, declarative statement: "A well made tool is a thing of beauty that's as much a pleasure to look at as it is to use." Then, in nine chapters, 231 pages and 300 colour photographs, he backs it up beyond any possible argument. Never before has such a lavish and comprehensive exploration of stunningly elegant, exotic, plain but ingenious and just flat-out gorgeous hand tools been assembled in one book. Making use of scores of private tool collections generously made available by private collectors and museums around the United States, the author doesn't merely write evocatively about a breathtaking variety of inventive and finely crafted tools, he also photographed them individually and in groupings that evoke nothing less than classic still lifes, as objects of art and craft. And that they are, without a doubt: silver measuring tools, ivory and gilt rulers, forged-iron double-calipers, cast-iron and brass levels, and jewellery-like plumb bobs made of exquisite materials like scrimshaw, brass and fine steel. Hand planes of dizzying variety and configurations, designed for dozens of particular and exacting tasks, and made of rosewood, brass, steel and ivory; cast-iron hammers with heads shaped like fish; drills and augers, axes and saws, and chisels; a bone-handled gouge; quirky and unusual combination tools; human-powered scroll saws and many more are described and pictured in delightful detail. This is truly a tool-lover's dream book. --Mark A. Hetts

From the Author
Magnificent tools from the shelves of private collectors
When I had the notion that woodworkers might enjoy a photographic book about attractive woodworking tools, I had no idea that the world's MOST amazing tools had been squirreled away by private collectors so long ago, that the majority of practicing woodchucks (myself included) had never seen them before! Hence, I spent a year traveling around the US and Canada photographing the most rare and remarkable implements from dozens of private collections: layout tools, handplanes, hammers, axes, braces, chisels, saws, miniature tools and more. The results are in the form of a lovely, all-color hardcover book produced by the Taunton Press (publishers of Fine Woodworking magazine). I hope that you enjoy the book (or take pleasure in giving it to a friend) and that you are inspired by these magnificent tools.