Backfill: Please Pass the Butter Firkin Hammer

JLC • NEW ENGLAND EDITION • FEBRUARY 1995 The Dictionary of Woodworking Tools by R.A. Salaman (Taunton Press, 800/888-8286) offers ample entertainment for the serious tool nut. This compendium illustrates a wide variety of hand tools used in the woodworking trades prior to the industrial revolution. “Woodworking” is used liberally here; the list covers tools from trades long forgotten, such as the gun stocker, spoon maker, cooper, and millstone dresser. Avid tool collectors will find this book an indispensable reference, would-be inventors can seed their imaginations from its pages, and serious restorationists might use it as a resource to shed light on traditional work methods. But don’t expect a manual that will