Early European Decorated Tools
from the Woodworking
and Allied Trades
The book presents a survey of European hand tools
for woodworking and other trades, dating from the 16th century
to the 19th century.
The tools illustrated and analyzed
were either made decoratively or received surface decoration.
Although all the tools featured were made to be primarily
functional, the focus of the book is on the esthetic qualities that transform such tools into examples of genuine
Planes, braces, axes, compasses,
saws and chisels, etc., are featured, including many that have
not been previously recorded or published.
Tool photographs, drawings and paintings have been
sourced from various national museums and private collections
Jonathan Green-Plumb has been
collecting antique tools for nearly 20 years. He was
presented with a Salaman Award grant by The Tools and Trades
History Society, which allowed him to visit museums and gain
access to tools and images that would otherwise have been out of
has a MA Degree in Fine Art Sculpture. It was while studying and making
sculpture at art school that Jonathan Green-Plumb began to
appreciate hand tools more.
He discovered that tools could be
more than just functional objects, they could also be of
decorative form and combine function with symbolism and self
He is continuing to collect and
research old woodworking tools and related objects such as treen
items, furniture and folk art. He hopes to publish further work
in the future.
He is currently a technology
teacher at a high school in the rural county of Norfolk. He
enjoys family life with his wife and two young children, making
furniture, swimming and attending auctions.
Hare is a sample from the book.
English Shoulder Plane
This shoulder plane, on a purely
functional level, is typical of the specialized low angled
planes of rebate type that became widely used in the 19th
century. They were made of metal, either cast in iron, gunmetal
or brass, or were constructed from metal plates that were
The examples that were cast in
brass and gunmetal often had a steel sole added, as with this
one, to help resist wear.
Shoulder planes require a very
narrow mouth to aid the removing of fine shavings, so steel
soles were necessary as the softer brass and gunmetal planes
were prone to damage and more rapid wear.
The cutting irons on shoulder
planes are squared in form and beveled. Usually they are set to
a low angle of approximately 20 degrees. As the sharpened
bevel is uppermost the effective angle is probably nearer 50
degrees. In terms of their function, shoulder planes have
been used to clean-up the shoulders of tenons (mortise and tenon
joints), and rebates, working across the grain.
Seen from most viewpoints, via one
of the sides, toe, heel and plan view, this plane is comparable
to many others from the period. The profile is, with the
arched top and shaped ends, of attractive shape. This combined
with the functional aspects result in a tool that is comfortable
Seen from the remaining viewpoint, the second side, this
plane becomes more than just a functional woodworking
tool. The winding floral and vegetal engraving elevates
the whole into an object that has a visual impact, not
bound by function.
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