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David Brookshaw has been making amazing tools since 1988 — many of them miniatures that have appeared in some of the gorgeous tool books from Sandor Nagyszalanczy, including the cover of “Tools: Rare and Ingenious.”
This November, Brookshaw is coming to Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Miniaturia show Nov. 6-7, where he’ll be showing his miniature tool chest and workshop that we featured on the blog earlier (read about it here and here).
Lately Brookshaw has been making some pieces from the incredible Nessi collection of tools, including the ones below. These were featured in this book, which I bought in 2004 for $80. Ouch. But the essays and photos are well worth it for the ardent tool nutjob.
Brookshaw makes his pieces for sale. The dividers above, which are from the French book “Le Livre de l’outil.” They were a commission that cost $3,000. So now I am reconsidering my decision to skip law school.
Check out the dividers below from the Nessi collection, and stop by the show in Philadelphia if you want to see more. You can contact Brookshaw through his web site.
– Christopher Schwarz
Other Tool Makers and Books You Should Investigate
– “Classic Hand Tools” by Garrett Hack
– “The Art of Fine Tools” by Sandor Nagyszalanczy
– Heinz Tools: heinztools.com, where I got my squirrel hammer!
– Gerd Fritsche’s Traditional Handplanes: traditional-handplanes.com
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
"It often happens that the more expensive kinds are got up so as easily to deceive the young joiner, though they are made only to sell; but the old workman will shake his head at them, and choose what he knows will prove themselves good to use." – The Joiner and Cabinet Maker
That being said, I really want the dolphin violin makers plane that spits shavings out of his mouth on the heinztool website.