Tools
The origin of antique tools is elusive as cabinetmakers, blacksmiths, tinsmiths, and other tradesmen usually devised tools for their own highly specialized purposes that were inspired by tools used or seen while an apprentice. Identification of antique tools can be accomplished by searching books, museums and through verbal communication.
- Sell your antiques & collectables
- Experience the value of Performance Marketing
- All charges are based on delivery of service.
Looking for something specific? Click here to post an item wanted ad »
Click a subcategory below to view products.
Clamp and LubricateClamping insures that parts to be glued are bonded firmly, and in the right position. Scrap wood is often used as a buffer between the jaws of the wood working clamp and the subject preventing damage. Clamping pressure should be even, moderate, and at right angles to the glue line to prevent slippage.
Desktop AccessoriesThe most powerful tool ever devised; the pen is our device of written communication, and has since ancient times ordered men to task with the implements of trade and war.
Electronic and Mechanized The most accurate way to date a mechanized collectible is through trade magazines, catalogs and current publications. Patent numbers can help determine age but may be misleading; often the patent on a specific part was made years before the machine was assembled. Test for the presence of iron with a magnet, cast iron was used until the mid 1920's when replaced by aluminum. Electro-mechanical arcade games were introduced in the mid 1930's, electro-mechanical slot machines in 1964. By the mid 1970's solid state was used on arcade machines and Jennings slots, and in 1980 Bally slots introduced microprocessors.
Hammer and AnvilThe most basic blacksmith tools are the hammer and anvil. Hot iron would be hammered into the desired shape by bending and spreading, basic techniques used to create shapes. The scroll is an example of bending and jumping or repousse work is a technique whereby the iron is spread into sheet iron, and a delicate shape is beaten into it while on top of a leather bag of sand.
Hand Drills and AugersTraditional methods of boring through wood before the advent of electricity included the use of the hand drill and hole auger.
Household ToolsIn 1909 Edward Preston & Sons, manufactured an assortment of tools of every description for every trade. Along with tools that one would expect a renowned tool manufacturer to sell, Preston included household tools such as ice mallets, corkscrews, and ice picks. This unique selection was published in a 168-page catalog for distribution to potential customers.
Levels and SquaresThe plumb level, which consists of a weighted device on a string, indicates the vertical or plumb position when used in conjunction with a right angle device known as a square. The plumb level can be used to find a true horizontal or level position. Since its invention the plumb level has evolved into several similar devices such as the spirit level, the inclinometer, and the sighting level.
Lifting and LeverageThe Ancient Egyptian Pyramid builders constructed ramps of mud brick and rubble on inclined planes to move the large stone blocks to the required height. The ramp had to be extended in length, and its base widened as the pyramid grew. There are two leading theories regarding the arrangement of the ramps, and placement of the stones. One states that a spiral ramp was raised, and coated with mud and water to facilitate dragging the blocks on sledges to the appropriate height. Another theory proposes that as the temple was raised mounds of earth were piled against it, and the stones were placed using long levers with a short angled foot.
Pliers and PliersIn the nineteenth century, the tool industry's standard practice of manufacturing was labor intensive but output was low. Individual attention to each antique tool manufactured in this era made it possible for one company to carry a wide range of tools in many different styles and sizes.
Precision InstrumentsVintage precision instruments are constructed in combinations of metals, woods, and glass. From the mid 1700s, brass was the principal metal being used in the production of the precision tool, durability being the primary consideration. To protect the precision instrument from pitting, brass surfaces were gilded between the 1500s and early 1700s, lacquered until the mid 1800s, after which either nickel plate or lacquer was used.
Screwdrivers and ChiselsCarving is a simple method of decorating woodwork derived from the basic technique of whittling that requires a high degree of dexterity and an eye for scale and symmetry. Wood carving tools were principally the straight edged chisel, and the curved-edged gouge. Technological advancements have changed the composition of the tools, but the shape of the tools and techniques used have remained largely unchanged.
Wood Planes Prior to the development of metallic planes, wood was the essential element in plane construction. An unlimited supply of wood was available to the traditional craftsman; an iron for the blade was the only resource our predecessors were dependent on, which was available from the local blacksmith or a merchant. Comprised of few parts, the typical wooden plane consists of a stock that supports an iron held stationary by a wedge. Sometimes a wood plane had a handle or tote behind the iron, and a turned knob or strike ahead of the iron.
