The Woodworker’s Guide to Hand Tools

Peter Korn

Reviewed by:

Robert Weber

It’s hard to imagine a modern power tool coming without a thorough owner’ s/user’s manual, showing how to set up the tool, perform basic maintenance, work safely, and essentially make the tool perform as designed. Hand tools, however, and especially older hand tools generally are not accompanied by this valuable document. Peter Korn, the director of the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, attempts to do just that in this delightful book.

In 200 pages, the author covers the basic use of just about every hand-powered tool used in the typical workshop. Accompanied by clear and concise black and white sketches of every tool and point illustrated, this book does a good job of introducing the beginner to most of the aspects of basic hand-tooling.

The author divides hand tools up into 10 different categories and presents each as a chapter, followed by a brief appendix covering plane and chisel sharpening. The chapters are divided as follows: Abrading Tools, including files, rasps and sanding products (I learned more about files from this chapter than I knew there was to know); Boring Tools, including different bit types and drills; Clamping and Holding Tools, with clamps, vises and workbenches; Cutting Tools, including chisels, drawknives, inshaves and scorps; Drafting Tools; Measuring and Marking Tools; Planing Tools, which run the gamut from bench planes to scratch stock to spokeshaves; Sawing Tools, eastern and western; Scraping Tools; and finally Striking Tools.

The chapter on Planes is, not surprisingly, the longest, with significant attention given also to Sawing, Measuring and Marking, and Clamping and Holding Tools. Each chapter presents a specific tool type (such as Awls in the Measuring and Marking Chapter) and gives information on that tool’s use, maintenance, and buying tips. More complex tools, such as bench planes, are given a more complete treatment including exploded drawings and the theory behind the cutting action of the tool. The Sawing chapter includes a section on saw sharpening.

For the more advanced Neanderthal, this book will seem short on details and depth, although it would still make a good refresher. However, I highly recommend this book to the novice or beginner hand tool user. You will devour the chapters and find yourself anxious to put the information contained in these pages to good use in your workshop.