Guide to American Wooden Planes and Their Makers

From the rear cover of this 427-page book: "Now completely revised and updated 'A Guide to American Wooden Planes' is the most thorough biographic guide to wooden planes and their makers in the 250-year history of the American industry. Spanning the earliest individuals who worked before the Revolutionary War to the last few commercial planemakers of the 20th century, this comprehensive directory includes over 1660 biographical entries listed in alphabetical order, along with over 1330 stamped imprints and 600 wedge outlines. Simply by comparing the name struck on the front of a plane with the names and stamps in this guide, the reader can easily determine its age and place in the world of planemaking. New in the Second Edition: a system of stars to indicate the relative scarcity of a maker's planes, applied to over 350 individuals. Also included in the Second Edition: an illustrated introduction to the types and styles of American planes; a short history of planemaking in America; an explanation of what makes some planes more valuable than others; examples of the changing styles of wedges in the development of the American plane; a glossary of terms used; and a list of clubs and organizations open to anyone interested in tools. This revised guide is even more invaluable for everyone from the handyman with a few planes in the workshop to the most advanced collector in the field."