Axes, drills, chisels, shaping tools, and more are examined by masters of handmade trades, from blacksmiths, silversmiths, and spoon makers to sculptors, gardeners, and architects. Tools make our lives better. They help us to measure, plan, create, maintain, repair, and make our ideas a reality. They are empowering, giving us the potential to do things for ourselves. Since pre-historic man sharpened his first stone into a cutting implement, we have relied on tools to help us in carrying out even simple tasks. Nowadays, every industry has its own set of tools. What would a painter be without a brush, or a gardener without his fork? Divided into three beautifully photographed chapters--Wood and Stone; Earth, Metal, and Glass; and Material, Cloth, and Decoration--this book tells the story of its 25 featured tools through the eyes of those whose craft and livelihood depend on them. It seeks to explore our relationship with these most fundamental of objects. Many are rightfully considered as design icons, while others reveal the improvisational skills of their owners, tweaked and adjusted to suit specific jobs through trial-and-error. Celebrating culture, skill, time, and dedication, this is the perfect read for anyone with a penchant for tools, crafts, and beautiful design.

This is a book for readers who are interested in the art and the social history of the Middle Ages. Illuminated manuscripts of that period are a primary source of information about the way in which men and women went about the everyday business of living-working on the land, engaging in trade and commerce, devoting themselves to crafts and manufactures, or carrying on the range of activities that we now regard as the professions. Many of the scenes reproduced in this superbly illustrated account are simply works of art in their own right; others are taken from manuscripts that are famous for the very high quality of their illumination. Patricia Basing provides a rich commentary, full of interesting observations, that relates each picture its historical context, explores the connections between the illustrations and text, and gives an account of the general background of manuscript production in medieval times.

As more and more people join the do-it-yourself revolution, they are breathing new life into many time-honored skills and crafts. Blacksmithing is among the trades that are enjoying a resurgence for both practical and artistic uses, yet there isn’t an abundance of readily accessible information available to beginning blacksmiths to help them get started and understand the craft. Author Ryan Ridgway, a veterinarian and blacksmith with more than 15 years of metalworking experience, hopes to fill that void with this comprehensive volume geared toward answering the many questions that new blacksmiths often have. By explaining the physics of moving metal, the different styles of anvils and forges, and alternative fuel sources, Ridgway sets his book apart from less detailed volumes. Forty practical, easy-to-follow projects are presented, showing aspiring blacksmiths how to make tools, such as hammers and chisels; farm implements, such as gate latches and hoof picks; and items for home use, including drawer pulls and candle holders.

Examines workbenches from different countries and styles and provides plans and construction details for four benches