I am a furniture maker who, whenever possible, uses hand tools, most from the late 18th to mid 19th Centuries. My interest in wood working came from my Father and my interest in early tools really started with the discovery of two tool chests in the basement of a friend - now my wife. The tools were rescued by my mother-in-law when they were about to be sent to the dump upon the death of the my wife's grandfather - the son of the original owner. The original owner of the tools, whose name is on all of the tools, moved from England to Marengo, IL in the 1840’s. He came from an English cabinet making family and a large portion of the tools are English. Some American planes were added and eight Diston saws. Also, the "Casely" tools included many chisels, drill bits and small miscellaneous items including a J+Casely stamp, a steel and brass clock makers lathe and slide rule.

The Casely tools include everything needed to produce the bureaus, beds and coffins that were, judging from some of his letters, his main products. There is a statement in one letter that while the furniture business was very slow there was a steady demand for coffins.

More recently I acquired a cabinet makers chest full of tools. The owner of the tools was R Farnnam - everything has his name stamped. Mr. Farnham lived in Ashford, Connecticut from 1805 until his death at 86 years of age, in 1860. Along with the tools I acquired a bench, which I currently use, and a blanket chest with two drawers both attributed to R. Farnnam.

What is missing from the Farnnam tools are chisels, drill bits, files and other small items. However, wood molding planes are in abundance including a cornice molding plane, sash planes, scrub planes. One panel plane. All of the planes are from New England and the Albany, NY area. A large number of the molding planes have no maker mark. Included are some planes made by O:Spicer an early Connecticut plane maker.

Inside the tool chest there are four drawers which contain many interesting items - a bundle of horsehair bristles, a white pigment powder wrapped in a Norwich , CT newspaper dated 1818, many small pieces of wood (some exotic) presumably for inlay work, a Bear Oil bottle, etc.

My partner and I have a business we call Classics In Wood. We reproduce Windsor chairs, tables of the late 18th and early 19th Centuries and some case pieces. If you are interested in what we do check it out at CLASSICS IN WOOD.

Back to old tools. My intent is to talk about the tools I have along with pictures of them and what results from their use. Also to exchange ideas on how to use them more effectively, protect them from rust and sharpen them.

I have a number of tools that I do not know how to use such as a very complicated slide rule and sash planes and tools that I am unable to identify. That is I do not know what they are used for. However, before I can carry on a dialog about specific tools I need to take close-up photographs.