One of my favorite reads...

Shortly after buying our home (an old Victorian with all of the usual ills in tact), I began collecting tools (mostly out of necessity) and became insatiably interested in the art of woodworking and the science of construction.  As my interest grew, so did my ever-expanding library of resources.  Somewhere along the line, I picked up a copy of Jeff Taylor's wonderful collection of vignettes, entitled "Tools of the Trade."

As this book is still one of my favorites, I thought I'd share a recently discovered  book review that I penned many years ago along with my best wishes for happy reading...

Tools of the Trade: The Art and Craft of Carpentry
by Jeff Taylor. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1996 (ISBN 0-8118-1273-1)

Like many tool collectors, my addiction began innocently enough, when, as a first time homeowner, my father handed down two prizes which he was certain would see considerable use in the remodeling of our Victorian-era home. On August 12, 1996 (a landmark date in my tool collecting experience,) I received a vintage Disston D-8 hand saw and a remarkably clean Stanley 5C jack plane. The fever took hold immediately and I have been adding to my collection ever since.

As a beginning collector, I am constantly seeking not only those elusive gems hiding in the darkest recesses of antique shops and flea markets, but also the advice and wisdom of more experienced collectors and craftsmen. One thing that seems to bind all tool collectors to the hobby, is the notion that we are maintaining a sense of historical continuity. Many of the tools which I have acquired date from the turn of the century, and despite having lain dormant for perhaps several decades, they still perform their intended functions perfectly. I also know, that if properly maintained while in my care, they will survive my tenure, and hopefully, will perform flawlessly for another generation of collectors and craftsmen in the future.

During a recent trip to the local bookshop, I discovered a book entitled "Tools of the Trade: The Art and Craft of Carpentry" by a writer named Jeff Taylor, a columnist for Harrowsmith Country Life, and a professional carpenter of twenty-plus years. "Tools of the Trade" is a collection of vignettes which relate the full range of human emotion as we journey through one man's life experiences and his passion for tools. In an era of feel-good books and pop psychology, we learn as much about the mystique of male bonding from this collection of stories as we would from any "Iron John" drum beating session, and anyone whom has ever worked alongside another, hammer in hand, in silent contemplation of the job being done, will instantly come to appreciate the depth of this work.

In his introduction, the author sets the stage for his work when he writes:

"Just by pulling a plane from his toolbox, my first employer opened up entire worlds for me to explore. Words had long been tools to me, but now I touched rosewood and hornbeam, brass and bevel gears, tangible, lovely things in my hand. It was inevitable that I would write about them someday. Now when I use hand tools, it comes back: the settings, seasons, problems, places, and people."

Throughout the course of the next twenty-six chapters, we are introduced to Swanee, the mentor, who saw a passion for the craft of carpentry in a young man and fostered it such that it became a lifelong love; to Duncan, the Scotsman, whom, upon gifting the head of a slick chisel to the author, swore that it had been cast from a highland claymore of mythical proportions; and to Last-to-Come Lee, the Native American owner of a what was to become a bequeathed Zenith Marshall-Wells spirit level, in which he saw not only the plumb and level of boards, but also, "the balance of all things."

Through the narration of his experiences, the author shares with us everything from the humor of defying conventional wisdom to the poignancy and brevity of life. In one hundred and sixty seven pages of brilliantly woven text, he confronts racial stereotypes, the loss of a beloved friend, the innocent pondering of his children, the bemused patience of his spouse as she deals with his quest for the perfect tool, the transitional relationship between fathers and their adult sons, and how every tool has a story to tell. We are drawn into the very personal and intimate moments of one man's life, and as such, are allowed to reflect upon our own. "Tools of the Trade" is an entertaining and enjoyable read and is equally at home alongside your tool chest or upon your nightstand, where I hope it will find a place.