A hand tool find and what's your favorite HT book?

[MountainWood]

When I was at a gun show yesterday (of all places), I picked up this little gem...





I'm curious.  What's your favorite HT book, old or new?

[Rob Young]

That's a good one. Any of the books written or edited by Charles Hayward (look for the older hard cover editions from Evens Bros. publishing)are good. As are The Practical Woodworker (old single edition reprints are cheap if poor image repro or spend more and get 4 volumes) and The Complete Woodworker both edited by Bernard Jones.

The Encylopeia of Furniture Making is very helpful (not all hand tool however) and used copies are cheap. Likewise the Taig Frid volumes from Fine Woodworking.

The Essential Woodworker by Robert Wearing.

I can't get at my list of books from archive.org from the tablet right now but lots of free scans of varying quality there.

[AHill]

Nice book.  I like Aldren Watson's "Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings".  It's hand illustrated and covers not only how to use the tools, but how to maintain them.  There's not much in the woodworking hand tools world that isn't covered in Watson's book.  For instructional content, I also like Charles Hayward's books.

[ZachDillinger]

Modern Practical Joinery by George Ellis is my favorite, with all of Roy's coming in tied with each other in a very close second place.

[Rob Young]

Modern Practical Joinery by George Ellis is my favorite, with all of Roy's coming in tied with each other in a very close second place.

Ellis is good. So is Audils carpentry series.

[Bibliophile 13]

Very cool.  Looks like maybe a shop class manual?  I've seen and passed along several similar books, and they can be really informative.  

I wrote up some of my favorites on my blog a while back: linky.

[Brent I]

I've been away for a few years so pardon me if I comment on a few older posts. All of the above mentioned books are awesome. Popular Woodworking had cobbled together articles from Chris Schwarz on Hand Tool woodworking that I found useful. Also, Paul Sellers "Working Wood" books are very good.

[Skip J.]

I've been away for a few years so pardon me if I comment on a few older posts. All of the above mentioned books are awesome. Popular Woodworking had cobbled together articles from Chris Schwarz on Hand Tool woodworking that I found useful. Also, Paul Sellers "Working Wood" books are very good.

Hello Brent;
Welcome back!

[EricU]

My BIL had the book in the OP.  I guess it got donated at some point. I figured it was a trade school book

[irishconger]

Fritz Spannahel -- Der Möbelbau: Ein Fachbuch für Tischler, Architekten und Lehrer (HolzWerken)

The ultimate reference book in the German speaking world... commonly referred to as just Spannagel... still relevant, and in use within the German apprenticeship program, after 60+ years.

-g-