The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools, Devices &
Instruments is the first volume in Graham Blackburn's paperback
Illustrated Workshop series. It's a comprehensive pictorial index of the
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 Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking
Handtools is also a remarkable tribute to man's technological ingenuity.
More than 600 tools are listed and described, 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, interesting etymologies, and fascinating historical
information. This classic reference contains more then 570 of
Blackburn's trademark detailed line-drawings, accompanied by an expert's
authoritative text. Whether used a handy guide book to identify a tool
and its use, or read simply for enjoyment, this book stands along in
capturing the sophisticated beauty and inventiveness of woodworking
handtools.