JLC • NEW ENGLAND EDITION • FEBRUARY 1995
The Dictionary of Woodworking Tools by R.A. Salaman
(Taunton Press, 800/888-8286) offers ample entertainment for
the serious tool nut. This compendium illustrates a wide variety
of hand tools used in the woodworking trades prior to the
industrial revolution. "Woodworking" is used liberally here;
the list covers tools from trades long forgotten, such as the gun
stocker, spoon maker, cooper, and millstone dresser.
Avid tool collectors will find this book an indispensable
reference, would-be inventors can seed their imaginations
from its pages, and serious restorationists might use it as a
resource to shed light on traditional work methods. But don't
expect a manual that will