The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools [Paperback]

Peter Korn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

This is the book that should come with every hand tool purchase. It's every hand tool's missing instruction book. Virtually all the hand tools commonly used by the contemporary woodworker or furniture maker are covered in detail. Readers will learn each tool's special uses, what to look for when buying a hand tool, how to tune and use each tool most efficiently.
-- Organized by alphabetical functional groupings for easy access.
-- Contains practical information on the set-up, use, maintenance and repair of hand tools.
-- Discusses the advantages that hand tools provide over power tools.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Known for its well-researched and produced books and magazines, the publisher has produced yet another winner. Korn's new work, detailing the nuances of tools and handwork, is as subtle yet comprehensive as his earlier Working with Wood (Taunton, 1993). In ten chapters on individual procedures in woodworking, Korn provides the basic information that generally comes with the purchase of power tool but is often missing with a hand tool. He fully explores differences between power and hand tools with clear prose and detailed but unobtrusive illustrations. There are many fine power-tool handbooks available, and the present volume can comfortably stand with the best. Recommended for collections with strong hobbyist demand.?Alexander Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Williamsport, PA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

With power tools being hot and sexy and, no doubt, hotly desired, it is refreshing to see a book about tools that are literally unplugged. Korn relays just about everything about the tools to use when the only form of power at hand is elbow grease. Returning to the days before the electric table saw and router may be desirable for some, yet if they want to go really sans electric, they must be willing to search seriously for some of the tools Korn discusses and to put out, too, for the likes of the chisels he presents, which, made in Japan, aren't exactly cheap (price tags can exceed three figures) but, perhaps, are geared more to the collector than the craftsperson. The average weekend warrior stands to gain some historical perspective from the book, even if only for the sake of knowing what that mysterious piece spotted at the local warehouse is really good for. Jon Kartman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 201 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561582166
• ISBN-13: 978-1561582167
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #862,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > How-to & Home Improvements > Hand Tools

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth owning if you're a woodworker, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools (Paperback)

Many of the books on woodworking with hand tools were written many years ago. Also they typically concentrate on technique rather than the actual tools. This book is different in that it's modern (even mentioning internet mailing lists and newsgroups for woodworking and tools), and it covers how to select the tools you buy. The book grew on me over time and I'm amazed at how often I return to consult it. I own most of the books in print on the subject but this one is a favourite.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars There Are Better Books Available, March 5, 2007

By 

S. Schuler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools (Paperback)

Korn's book is a somewhat helpful introduction to various hand tools, though it focuses more on listing, defining, and classifying hand tools than it does on showing how to effectively use each tool. He does give information about use, though it is often more basic than the serious hand tool enthusiast needs. I suspect that Korn is accustomed to using woodworking machines and that hand tools are secondary in his workshop. Also disappointing is the fact that he is not always aware of the potential advantages of older tool designs. For instance, he claims that the leg vise has no advantages over other types of bench vise, though many other woodworkers have suggested that this is not true, the leg vise being especially suited to heavy pounding, as well as being cheaper to buy and easy to install (much of which he would know if he were aware of the tool's history as a blacksmith's vise). He also lists the sloyd knife, a Scandinavian carving knife, under "marking knives" when it is clearly a carving knife that might occasionally be used for marking--a quick perusal of something like Drew Langsner's _Country Woodcraft_ would have corrected his mistake. He also ought to have read Roy Underhill's Woodwright series to round out his bibliography. Korn does include a helpful overview of sharpening methods in one of his appendices. If one were to buy only a few books on hand tools, this would not be a first choice. It contains some good information from an experienced woodworker, but on the whole there are more detailed treatments of hand tools available in print. Try Aldren Watson's _Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings_ for a more thorough and engaging treatment of the topic.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Missing Manual, July 10, 2006

By 

Jason T. Amsden (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools (Paperback)

This book outlines various tools that usually don't contain a manual (like a file, rasp chisel, etc..)
What could have been a boring reference was actually a decent read.
I own another one of Korn's books and he has a good writing style. Though certainly not required woodworking reading, it is a worthy addition to my shelf.