Collector's Guides, Handbooks and Dictionaries

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American Society for Metals. (1964). Metals handbook. Volume 2, 8th Ed. American Society for Metals, Materials Park, OH.

Appleton. (1866). Appleton’s dictionary of machines, mechanics, engine-work, and engineering. 2 vols. D. Appleton and Company, New York, NY. IS.

Arbor, Marilyn. (1994). Tools and Trades of America's Past: The Mercer Museum collection. The Mercer Museum, Doylestown, PA.

Astragal Press. (n.d.). Books on early tools, trades and technology. PO Box 239, Mendham, NJ 07945-0239. www.astragalpress.com. astragalpress@attglobal.net. IS.

• This catalog of Astragal publications allows quick access to most of the important contemporary publications on tools and technology.  Many of them are also listed within these bibliographies.

Bacheller, Milton H., Jr. (2000). American marking gages, patented and manufactured. Self-published, 185 South St., Plainville, MA 02762.

Baird, Ron and Comerford, Dan. (1989). The hammer: The king of tools: A collectors handbook. Ron Baird and Dan Comerford, Publishers, Fair Grove, MO. IS.

Barlow, Ronald S. (1991). The antique tool collector's guide to value. Third edition. Windmill Publishing Company, El Cajon, CA 92020. IS.

• One of the more frequently utilized references for checking values and identifications.

Barnwell, George W. Ed. (1941). The new encyclopedia of machine shop practice: a guide to the principles and practice of machine shop procedure. Wm. H. Wise & Co., Inc., NY, NY. IS.

Batory, Dana M. (1997). Vintage woodworking machinery: An illustrated guide to four manufacturers. Vol 1. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Batory, Dana M. (2004). Vintage woodworking machinery. Vol. 2. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Blackburn, Graham. (1974). The illustrated encyclopedia of woodworking handtools, instruments & devices. Simon and Schuster, NY, NY. IS.

Blanchard, Clarence. (2006). The Stanley little big book: A comprehensive pocket price guide for planes. Antique & Collectible Tools Inc., 27 Fickett Rd, Pownal, ME 04069. IS.

Blase, Francis Jr. (1984). Heebner & Sons, Pioneers of Farm Machinery in America. Hatfield Publishing Company, Hatfield, PA. IS.

Bureau of Naval Personnel. (1963). Basic hand tools. Navy Training Course NAVPERS 10085-A. United States Navy. IS.

Carr, Ronald, Smith, Charles and Stubbs, Graham. (2007). Vintage blowtorches: An identification and rarity guide. The Blow Torch Collectors Association, Las Vegas, NV. IS.

Colvin, Fred H. and Stanley, Frank A. (1926). American machinists' handbook and dictionary of shop terms: A reference book of machine shop and drawing room data, methods and definitions. Fourth Edition.McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, NY. IS.

• One of the more important of the many types and editions of machinist's handbooks.

Comte, Hubert. (1997). Tools: Making things around the world. Translated from French by Molly Stevens and David Marinelli. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., NY, NY. IS.

Cooper Canada Newsletter (Vol. 4, No. 4, Fall, 1982). Lufkin's History. Reprinted for Ken Roberts Publishing Co.

Cope, Kenneth L. (1993). American machinist's tools: An illustrated directory of patents. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• See annotations in the Toolmaking Trades bibliography under machinists.

Cope, Kenneth L. (1994). Makers of American machinist's tools: A historical directory of makers and their tools. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• See annotations in the Toolmaking Trades bibliography under machinists.

Cope, Kenneth L. (1998). More makers of American machinist's tools: Part two of a historical directory of makers and their tools. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• See annotations in the Toolmaking Trades bibliography under machinists.

Cope, Kenneth L. (1999). American wrench makers 1830 - 1915. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• Another of Cope's indispensable references.
• Note the enlarged edtion listed below.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2001). American foot power & hand power machinery. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2001). American foot power & hand power machinery. M.J. Donnelly Antique Tools, Avoca, NY. IS.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2001). American lathe builders: 1810 - 1910. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2002). American wrench makers 1830-1930. 2nd edition. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2002). American planer, shaper and slotter builders. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

Cope, Kenneth L. (2003). American cooperage machinery and tools. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

• See annotations in the Toolmaking Trades bibliography under coopers.

Diagram Group, The. (1981). Handtools of arts and crafts: The encyclopedia of the fine, decorative and applied arts. St. Martin's Press, NY, NY. IS.

• This wonderful text has drawings of the tools used for writing and drawing, printing, making books, painting, pictures without paint, clay and pottery, modeled and cast sculpture, carved sculpture, cabinetmaking, wood decoration, working with glass, fine metalwork, lapidary and beadmaking, thread preparation, weaving, knitting and knotting, needlework and leatherwork.

Evans, Oliver. (1850). The young mill-wright and miller's guide. 13th Ed. Lea & Blanchard, Philadelphia, PA. Reprinted by Arno Press, New York, NY.

• Among the most important of all antiquarian references.

Farnham, Alexandar. (1970). Tool collector’s handbook: Prices paid at auction for early American tools. Alexandar Farnham, Stockton, NJ. IS.

Feintuch, Burt and Watters, David H., Eds. (2005). The Encyclopedia of New England. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT and London. IS.

• A generally useful compilation of information about the history of New England, but not at all a comprehensive survey of the legacy of its ship-building, fishing, and wood working trades.
• Robert Gordon's brief description of the manufacture of axes and "edged" tools contains some interesting information that also has no description of the fluorescence of New England's edge tool makers in the 19th century other than his comments on the Collins Co. and scythe making:
• "...John and Joseph Farwell began  making scythes with trip-hammers in Fitchburg, Mass., in 1796, two of their apprentices, Alpheus Kimball and John Thurston Farwell, set up their own works, producing 9,600 scythes a year by 1820. John T. Farwell later joined with former apprentice Abel Simonds to start a third scythe works in Fitchburg..."
• "... the Collins brothers of Connecticut began factory production of axes in 1826... beginning in 1832....Elisha K. Root designed forging and shaving machinery that so closely shaped an axe that little additional grinding was required."
• "In 1864 Abel Simonds's sons converted their father's scythe shop into the Simonds Manufacturing Company in Fitchburg, Mass., later famous for making saws."
• On iron, Gordon notes in another excerpt:
• "By the first decade of the early republic, New Englanders had mastered the skills they needed to make castings for machinery and to forge wrought iron to close, uniform dimensions. With their furnaces, forges, and rolling mills they supplied the iron products needed by pioneering manufacturers like Eli Whitney. In subsequent decades New England ironmasters never matched the large-scale production achieved by their colleagues in the Middle Atlantic states. Instead they made a niche for themselves as suppliers of high-quality iron, meeting the stringent requirements of the nation's new manufacturing industries. Thus they supplied the Harpers Ferry Armory in Virginia with gun iron needed for musket barrels and forged large anchors for the navy, shafts for steamboat engines, and, later, axles for locomotives and railway cars."
• "Initially, New England ironmakers had smelted bog ore dug from shallow ponds and wetlands. Bog ore often formed rapidly enough that a forge or furnace proprietor could reharvest the same area within a decade or so, and could match production to a continuous ore supply. Bog ore tended to be rich in phosphorus and produced pig iron that was particularly suitable for casting hollow ware. But works using it remained dispersed because the ore sources were small. By 1735 adventurers in western Massachusetts and Connecticut had discovered extensive deposits of rich ore in the area later known as the Salisbury district."

Ferguson, Eugene S. (1968). Bibliography of the history of technology. Society for the History of Technology, Cambridge, MA.

Garrett Wade Company. (2001). Tools, a complete illustrated encyclopedia. The Garrett Wade Co., Inc., NY, NY.

Goodman, W.L. (1968). British planemakers from 1700. Third Edition enlarged and revised by Jane & Mark Rees, published by Roy Arnold in 1993, Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• The most important reference on English planemakers.

Graham, Frank D. and Emery, Thomas J. (1923). Audels carpenters and builders guide #1: A practical illustrated trade assistant on modern construction for carpenters - joiners, builders - mechanics and all wood workers. 4 vols. Theo. Audel & Co., NY, NY. IS.

• See annotations in the Toolmaking Trades bibliography under woodworkers.

Grismer, Jerome T. and Kendrick, Clyde H. (1985). Embossed American axes: A photographic guide. Jerome T Grismer and Clyde H. Kendrick, publishers, Columbia, Missouri. IS.

• This text has no mention of the famous axe factories of Oakland, Maine.

Hack, Garrett. (1999). Classic hand tools. Taunton Press, Newtown, CT.

Henderson, John Goulding and Bates, Jack M. (1953). Metallurgical dictionary. Reinhold, New York, NY.

Heuring, Jerry and Heuring, Elaine. (1990). E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter collectibles: An illustrated price guide. Second edition. Collector Books, P. O. Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42001. IS.

• The only guide to Keen Kutter tools.

Hinckley, F. Lewis. (1960). Directory of the historic cabinet woods. Bonanza Books, NY, NY. IS.

Horsley, John E. (1978). Tools of the maritime trades. International Marine Publishing, Camden, ME. W.

Hume, Ivor Noel. (1969). A guide to artifacts of colonial America. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., NY, NY. IS.

Husfloen, Kyle, Ed. Blanchard, Clarence, contributing Ed. (2003). Antique Trader: Tools price guide: Tools from the 1700s through the 20th century. Krause Publications, Iola, WI. IS.

Johnson, Jacob. (1800-1807). The book of trades, or library of the useful arts. Parts I, II, and III. Whitehall, Philadelphia, PA.

• These have been issued as modern reprints by Peter Stockham.

Kean, Herbert P. (date unknown). Restoring antique tools. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

Kean, Herbert P. (2002). Tool tales. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

Kean, Herbert P. and Pollak, Emil S. (1990). Collecting antique tools. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Kemp, Peter. (1976). The Oxford companion to ships and the sea. Oxford University Press, London.

Kijowski, Gene W. (1990). Directory of American tool makers: Colonial times to 1899: Working draft edition. The Early American Industries Association. IS.

• This essential reference is utilized throughout our inventory of tools on exhibit using the abbreviation DATM.
• A new version is now published, see Nelson below.

Knight, Charles. (1845). The pictorial gallery of arts: Useful arts. C. Knight and Co., London, UK.

• A xerox of parts of this text is in stock.

Knight, Charles. (1851). Cyclopaedia of the industry of all nations. George P. Putnam, NY, NY. IS.

Knight, Edward H. (undated c. 1875). The practical dictionary of mechanics: being a description of tools, instruments, machines, processes, and engineering; history of inventions; general technological vocabulary; and digest of mechanical appliances in science and the arts. 4 vols. Cassell Petter & Galpin, London. IS.

• The definitive reference on the technological history and the tools and inventions of the 19th century, with over 5,000 engravings.  This is the counterpart to the Encyclopedia Britannica when it comes to tools.  If you want to know what a cliseometer is, look here.

Knight, Edward H. (1877). American mechanical dictionary. 3 vols. Cambridge, University Press, Hurd & Houghton, NY.

• Another edition of the above reference.

Lardner, D. (1832). The cabinet cyclopedia of the useful arts. Vol. 1. London, UK.

Larson, Lars and Blanchard, Clarence. (2001). Patented American planes for wood, leather, and the allied trades, 1795-1934. Vol 1 - 3. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. Vol 1 IS.

Levine, Bernard. (1985). Levine's guide to knives and their values. DBI Books, Northbrook, IL. W.

McCreight, Tim. (1997). Jewelry: Fundamentals of metalsmithing. Hand Books Press, Rockport, MA. IS.

McCreight, Tim. (2004). Complete Metalsmith. Brynmorgen Press, Inc., Portland, ME. IS.

Moore, R. (1888). The universal assistant, and complete mechanic, containing over one million industrial facts, calculations, receipts, processes, trade secrets, rules, business forms, legal items, etc., in every occupation, from the household to the manufactory. J. S. Ogilvie, NY, NY. IS.

Nelson, Robert E., Ed. (1999). Directory of American Toolmakers: A listing of identified makers of tools who worked in Canada and the United States before 1900. Early American Industries Association.

• This essential reference is referred to as DATM (1999) when we have used it in our tool inventory listings and the Registry of Maine Toolmakers.
• The most important and useful reference in this bibliography.

Neumann, George C. (1991). Swords & blades of the American Revolution. Rebel Pub. Co, Texarkana, TX. W.

Neumann, George C. and Kravic, Frank J. (1997). Collector's illustrated encyclopedia of the American Revolution. Scurlock Publishing Co., Texarkana, Texas. IS.

• The best guide to Revolutionary era artifacts.

Nicholson, John. (1826). The operative mechanic and practical machinist. 2 Vols. H.C. Carey & I. Lea, Philadelphia, PA.

Noel-Hume, Ivor. (1972). A guide to artifacts of colonial America. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY.

Overstreet, Robert M. (2003). Official Overstreet identification and price guide to Indian arrowheads: The ultimate reference to United States point types. Eighth edition. House of Collectibles, NY, NY. IS.

• This text is useful for identifying Native American lithics and other tools, including those in our museum collections.

Park, Edwards. (1983). Treasures of the Smithsonian. Smithsonian Books, Washington, DC. IS.

Parker, John Henry. (1896). A concise glossary of architectural terms. James Parker & Co., Oxford. Reprinted in 1992 by Studio Editions, London. IS.

Pearson, Ronald W. (1994). The American patented brace 1829-1924: An illustrated directory of patents. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Peterson, Harold. (1956). Arms & armor in colonial America 1526 - 1763. Bramhall House, NY. W.

Peterson, Harold L. (1958). American knives: The first history and collectors' guide. C. Scribner's Sons, New York, NY. W.

Pollak, Emil and Pollak, Martyl. (1994). A guide to the makers of American wooden planes, third edition. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• The single most important reference on American planemakers.  The first edition was published in 1983; the fourth edition in 2001.

Pollak, Emil and Pollak, Martyl. (2001). A guide to the makers of American wooden planes, fourth edition. Revised by Thomas L. Elliott. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• This, the latest edition is the most up-to-date.

Price, James E. (1992). A sourcebook of United States patents for bitstock tools and the machines that made them. Published by the author, Naylor, MO. IS.

Rees, Jane and Rees, Mark. (1999). Tools: A guide for collectors. 2nd Edition. Sean Arnold.

Reichman, Charles. (March 1980). Tool museum at Troyes. The Chronicle. 33(1). pg. 1-3. IS.

• Maison de l'Outil et de la Pensee Ouvriere, Troyes, France.

Reichman, Charles. (June 1990). Gleanings: The Pollaks and the Astragal Press. The Chronicle. 43(2). pg. 46-47, 55. IS.

• Interesting background information about the evolution of the Astragal Press, the most important source of information on American planemakers and their maker's stamps as well as publisher of many important books on tools.

Roberts, Kenneth D. (1975). Wooden planes in 19th century America. Ken Roberts Publishing Co., Fitzwilliam, NH. IS.

• The first of the guides to American planemakers.

Roberts, Kenneth D. (1978). Wooden planes in 19th century America, volume II: Planemaking by the Chapins at Union Factory, 1826 - 1929. Ken Roberts Publishing Co., Fitzwilliam, NH.

Roberts, Kenneth D. (1979). Scottish & English metal planes by Spiers & Norris. Ken Roberts Publishing Co., Fitzwilliam, NH.

Roberts, Kenneth D. (1980). Some 19th century English woodworking tools: edge and joiner tools and bit braces. Ken Roberts Publishing Co., Fitzwilliam, NH. IS.

Rogers, William. (1913). Rogers machinists guide: A practical illustrated treatise on modern machine shop practice. Theo. Audel & Company, NY, NY. IS.

Rose, Joshua. (1995). The Pattern maker's assistant:1889 edition with 250 illustrations.Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

Rosebrook, Donald. (1999). American level patents: Illustrated and explained. Volume I. Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ.

Salaman, R.A. (1975). Dictionary of tools used in the woodworking and allied trades, C. 1700-1975. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, NY. IS.

• The first comprehensive guide to woodworking tools.  A copy of this reference is available for visitors to browse in the main hall of the Davistown Museum.
• Note that there is now a revised edition published in 1997.

Salaman, R.A. (1978). A bibliography of tools. The Early American Industries Association. IS.

Salaman, R.A. (1986). Dictionary of leather-working tools, c. 1700-1950 and the tools of allied trades. Macmillan Publishing Company, NY, NY. IS.

• The most comprehensive reference on the subject.

Schulz, Alfred and Schulz, Lucille. (1989). Antique and unusual wrenches. Published by Alfred & Lucille Schulz, R.1 Box 151, Malcolm, NE 68402. IS.

• The classic guide to wrench makers and long a standard reference for collectors.  A copy of this reference is available for visitors to browse in the main hall of The Davistown Museum.

Sellens, Alvin. (1990). Dictionary of American hand tools: A pictorial synopsis. Alvin Sellens, Publisher, Augusta, KS. IS.

• The best general dictionary of American hand tools.  A copy of this reference is available for visitors to browse in the main hall of The Davistown Museum.

Shumway, George. (1980). Rifles of colonial America, Vol. II. George Shumway Publisher, PA.

Sloane, Eric. (1964). A museum of early American tools. Funk & Wagnalls, Inc. Reprinted in 1973 by Ballantine Books, NY, NY. IS.

• See annotations in our Children's bibliography.

Smith, Joseph. (1816). Explanation or key, to the various manufactories of Sheffield, with engravings of each article. J. Smith, Sheffield, England. Reprinted in 1975 by the Early American Industries Association, South Burlington, VT. IS.

• See annotations in our European Precedents and the Early Industrial Revolution bibliography.

Smith, Roger K. (1981-1992). Patented transitional & metallic planes in America 1827 - 1927. 2 vols. North Village Publishing Co., Lancaster, MA. IS.

• This is the definitive reference for tracing the development of the steel hand plane in the United States and includes detailed descriptions, background histories and excellent photographs in these two volumes.  These volumes represent a lifetimes work by the most knowledgeable scholar on transitional and metallic planes in America and are the most essential of all references for the collector of planes.
• Smith begins the first volume with a discussion of the history of cast iron planes and includes a picture of the earliest known Roman plane found at Pompeii, dating to 79 A.D., a smooth plane from the 14th or 15th century and a picture of the first American cast iron plane made in 1827 by Hazard Knowles.  Excellent photographs throughout both volumes.
• Smith has a brief introduction which provides the context for placing the development of the metal plane in America as occurring after craftsmen had relied on traditional wooden planes for many generations: "The 'American System' of manufacture had its beginning in 1813 when Simeon North received the first government contract to specify interchangeable parts in the manufacture of guns at Middletown, Connecticut." (pg. 8).

Standards and Curriculum Division, Bureau of Naval Personnel. (1944). Hand tools. U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC. IS.

Stanley, Philip E. (1984). Boxwood & ivory: Stanley traditional rules, 1855 - 1975. The Stanley Publishing Co., Westborough, MA. IS.

• The only comprehensive reference on Stanley rules.

Stanley, Philip E. (1985). A concordance of major American rule makers. Philip Stanley, Westborough, MA. W.

Ure, Andrew. (1845). A dictionary of arts, manufactures and mines: Containing a clear exposition of their principles and practice. D. Appleton & Co., NY, NY.

Walter, John. (1988). Antique and collectable Stanley planes: 1988 price guide. The Tool Merchant, Akron, Ohio. IS.

Walter, John. (1989). Antique and collectable Keen Kutter hand tools: 1989 price guide. The Tool Merchant, Akron, Ohio. IS.

Walter, John. (1990). Antique & Collectible Stanley tools: A guide to identity & value. The Tool Merchant, Marietta, OH. IS. A 1996 reprint also IS.

• The most comprehensive guide to Stanley tools.  This text represents a lifetime of study of Stanley tools and is a major contribution to the literature on Stanley tools.  The Walters publications are the tool references most frequently used by the Liberty Tool Co.

Walter, John. (2000). Antique & Collectible Stanley tools: 2000 pocket price guide. The Tool Merchant, Marietta, OH. IS.

Westley, Robert. (1993). Guide to imprints of Canadian plane makers and hardware dealers. MacLachlan Woodworking Museum, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

A second edition was published in 1997 without the wedge profiles but with more biographical information on 95 makers/dealers and notes on how to determine which stamps on a plane are for makers and dealers.

Wendel, Charles H. (1997). Encyclopedia of American farm implements & antiques. Krause Publications, Iola, Wisc.

Whelan, John M. (1993). The wooden plane: Its history, form & function. The Astragal Press, Mendham, NJ. IS.

• This text contains the most extensive descriptions and illustrations of plane profiles in the literature.  It is indispensable for identifying plane types.  A copy of this reference is available for visitors to browse in the main hall of The Davistown Museum.

Wilbur, C. Keith. (1987). Antique medical instruments: Price guide included. Schiffer Publishing Ltd., West Chester, PA. IS.

Woodworth, Joseph V. (1910). American tool making and interchangeable manufacturing. Norman W. Henley Publishing, NY, NY.