The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Woodworking Handtools, Instruments & Devices

As the first volume in The Illustrated Workshop series, the newly released paperback collection of Graham Blackburn’s iconic works, The Encyclopedia of Handtools, Instruments, & Devices is a comprehensive pictorial index of woodworking handtools used in woodworking trades from cabinetmaking to wheelwrights. More than 600 tools are listed and described, all fully cross-referenced, from adze, awl, and bevel to yardstick and zig-zag rule. This edition, first published in the hardcover Blackburn on Woodworking series, is the definitive edition for collectors and woodworkers who use and enjoy hand tools.

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.