This Old House Essential Hand Tools: 26 Tools to Renovate and Repair Your Home (Essential (This Old House Books)) [Paperback]

Editors of This Old House Magazine (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential (This Old House Books) | Publication Date: January 15, 2000

Whether you're a home repair novice or a veteran renovator searching for new tricks of the trade - you'll find invaluable advice and expert knowledge about hand tools straight from master carpenter Norm Abram and contractor Tom Silva in this full-color tool book from the editors of This Old House Magazine.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The function of power tools is to enhance the speed and force of those tasks originally performed by hand tools, but as useful as power tools are, there are still many tasks which simply cannot be done with a power tool. Mastering basic hand tool use is crucial to any renovation or repair around the house, and this book lays out the basic collection of important hand tools needed by any do-it-yourselfer, explains their purpose and proper use, and will give any beginner the practical information necessary to get started. It is generously illustrated with color photographs of new and historic tools. --Mark A. Hetts

From the Back Cover

Are hand tools important? Ask a craftsman who teaches millions of people the how-to of home renovation, master carpenter Norm Abram. After years as a host of the celebrated PBS television show This Old House, he answers simply: "Mastering them is how I began." whether you're a home-repair novice trying to fill your first toolbox or a seasoned home renovator prowling for tips from craftsmen such as Norm and This Old House contractor Tom Silva, you'll find just what you need--the essentials--in this lively, no-nonsense guide from the editors of This Old House Magazine. Pull up a sawhorse, settle in for a good read and find out what your favorite carpenter has to say about his tools.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: This Old House Books; First Edition edition (January 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966675304
• ISBN-13: 978-0966675306
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,888,389 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Expert Advice > Norm Abram

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Read, July 21, 2000

By 

Cliff Hutson "The Marmot" (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: This Old House Essential Hand Tools: 26 Tools to Renovate and Repair Your Home (Essential (This Old House Books)) (Paperback)

This book is a good read and a practical reference.

Although I am not a professional craftsperson, or even "seasoned" by most standards, I am a tool nut and have been using them for nearly fifty years in a variety of situations and know my way around a toolbox. However, the book showed me some common tools in a new perspective and has even given me an excuse to pick up a few more unusual tools for my collection. An example would be the cat's-paw. I was not familiar with this device before, but have now learned how superior one is to the claw of a hammer or a flat pry bar for pulling nails.

The book is more a discussion of the philosophy and theory of tools than it is an instruction manual. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it to anyone trying to get a handle on how to start putting a kit together and those who are curious about what two famous carpenters have to say about a tool you may have been using seemingly all your life.