Posts in the «tool history» Category
- Chisel – Long Lost Brother
Tool owner stamps always intrigue me. When I pick up one of my old wood planes and look at the layers of old owner stamps on them, I wonder who they were and what they did. Were they carpenters, or just hobbyists? Did they pass them on to their children? Did they save up for […]
- Early American Lumber
I found this painting online. It was first published in the National Park Service publication New Discoveries at Jamestown: Site of the First Successful English Settlement in America. The painting is artist, Sydney King’s interpretation of the lumber industry in colonial Jamestown. I find the painting fascinating as it focuses on so many aspects of […]
- Cheney Hammer
I wrote a while back about my Grandfather’s Belknap Bluegrass Hammer so now I turn my old tool spotlight to my Father’s Cheney Bell Face Hammer with the very cool and functional ball bearing nail holder. This hammer was made by the Cheney Hammer Co. in Little Falls NY. The head on the Cheney hammer […]
- Hamilton Hammer?
My grandfather passed away a decade ago at a ripe old age. Like many from his time, there was nothing he couldn’t do in the line of handywork. Carpenter, farmer, mechanic, plumber. He was a woodworker only out of necessity, but did not dabble in fine furniture or hobby woodworking. He built what he needed […]
- Galoot Gloats about Tools
I knew it would happen. I built my saw rack with a limited number of slots, then I go to an estate sale. The estate sale was for a woodworker by the name of . He passed away last year and now some of his tools have made their way to my shop. You may […]
- Carpenter’s Toolbox Time Capsule
A year or two ago Roy Underhill had an episode where he looked closely at the contents of a Viking Toolbox replica. The actual toolbox was uncovered by a farmer back in 1930. It was an interesting look. I recently undertook a look at a bit of family history. My Great Uncle (Henry Budgen 1893-1985) […]
- Old tool life: Drawknife
Somewhere in the past decade I have moved from enjoying new and shiny power tools into relishing quieter tools whose age alone commands respect. As I spend time using certain tools, I often wonder, who in my heritage would have used this tool when it was new? When I use my drawknife that bares a […]