A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes

Book excerpt: With its initial publication in 1983, A Guide to the Makers of American Wooden Planes profoundly transformed the emphasis and direction of tool collecting. After several years of meticulous research, Thomas L. Elliott has completely redesigned, revised, and expanded this fifth edition to include entries and information accumulated since the fourth edition. The heart of this guide is the alphabetical directory of plane makers and dealers. This fifth edition now includes: 4590 biographical entries; 6160 imprint illustrations; 3030 wedge outlines; and over 3000 individual ratings for judging relative scarcity and value. Also included are sections providing insights helpful in buying and selling planes, an illustrated glossary of plane terms and styles, and an extensive bibliography for further research. This book is useful to both the beginner and the advanced collector, to historians and genealogists, and to all other with an interest in the subject.