Poor.
1. Purchased this book based on recommendations from various woodworking blogs. This book is very poorly written.
2. The overview of tools is 'paper thin' (no pun intended). I would not recommend this book to any woodwork begining or otherwise. SAVE YOUR MONEY.
Misprinted book
Overall, I would rate the book very highly, but the copy that I purchased from a vendor in California was improperly bound; pages 144 through 160 were replaced with a second copy of pages 129 thru 144. I e-mailed the publisher, Lark Books, and as yet have recieved no reply. So much for customer service! If I could find an address, I would e-mail the author directly. Impressive book, would be better from a different publisher that new how page numbers were supposed to operate or cared about their customers.
A well written basic overview...
Though I would consider myself primarily a power tool woodworker, I have recently been dabbling in hand tools to supplement my enjoyment of the craft. Although I was already familiar with all of the various types of hand tools, this book provided me with a lot of valuable advice about how to proceed in the collection and use of my own set. I found many sections of this book to be very informative, while others were merely entertaining. For instance, Mr. Rae (as well as every other hand tool proponent out there) suggests that some very good deals can be had on old/used tools if you keep your eyes open. I have looked at every pile of used tools at every garage sale and auction and flea market I have come across for years now and I have yet to find anything that was in usable shape and had a price that could be considered a bargain. I think that the days when used tools could be had for a bargain are gone because everyone seems to know what they are worth now.
In my opinion the real standout section of this book is the chapter covering 'edge tools'. The author admits these are his favorite tools and his coverage of all things relating to planes is impressive. I admit that I learned a great deal from his coverage of the topic 'Making a bench plane perform'.
Though there is a multitude of wisdom in this book, and I do recommend it, I have to say that a better choice on this subject is 'Mastering Hand Tool Techniques' by Alan and Gill Bridgewater.
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