Author: Sandor Nagyszalanczy

Publisher/Date: Taunton, publishers of Fine Woodworking (2004, 1st printing)

Format/Condition: Hardcover book with dust jacket; light shelfwear, remainder mark on text block. 210 pages, profusely illustrated.

Description: Craftsmen, over the centuries, have transformed inherently humble objects—drills, saws, planes, and levels—into works of art. Tools Rare and Ingenious expands on Sandor Nagyszalanczy’s acclaimed book The Art of Fine Tools by offering a world tour of objects that rarely leave the private vaults of collectors.

In more than 375 color photographs, the author presents tools ranging from calipers that mimic dancing ballerinas to a carved breast drill that’s shaped like a violin and, astonishingly, outfitted with a bow. Some tools glitter with silver and jewels, others are breathtaking in their simplicity. Included in this fascinating history are maker’s marks and logos, jewelry-like miniature tools, patent and prototype models, and elaborate presentation tools that were created as awards or gifts.

This is a book to treasure. Collectors and craftsmen will relish the depth of historical and technical information that accompanies each picture. And anyone who has ever held a hammer or a saw, no matter how briefly, will marvel at these masterpieces of art.

Table of Contents

Primitive and Ancient Tools
Decorated Tools
Fine and Fancy Tools
Ingenious Mechanisms
Maker’s Marks and Logos
Magnificent Miniatures
Combination Tools
Patent Models and Prototypes
Presentation and Exhibition Tools
Tools of Many Trades
Craftsman-Made Tools