Publisher's Synopsis
In Wooden Plow Planes, noted author and collector Don Rosebrook paints a visual panorama of almost 275 years of plane making, providing fresh and insightful commentary on the evolution of the plow plane from its humble origins to its apotheosis as the ultimate symbol of the tool as art. Approximately 200 beautifully photographed planes illuminate, in full and rich color, the extraordinarily high level of craftsmanship involved in the planes'fabrication, showing in clear and close-up detail inlays of silver, bone, ivory and rare woods. Rosebrook provides full descriptions of all of the planes contained in the book. Numerous one-of-a-kind examples are also highlighted and displayed. Super detail pictures are included, showing the characteristic features of specific makers. This book is the culmination of over two years of extensive research and serves as an excellent reference source for collectors and dealers, as well as industrial historians and curators! . It features, among other things: Galleries of nuts and shoulder moldings for identification purposes; Special sections on the Greenfield Tool Company, the Ohio Tool Company and planemaking at the New York Auburn Prison; A special section ona modern planemaker and his work; Many interesting examples of craftsman-made planes; Finely detailed examples of the use of ivory tips, nuts and silver trim, and the use of woods such as rosewood, ebony and boxwood. For those interested in tool collecting or restoration, in industrial history or material culture, or for those who simply appreciate craftsmanship, innovation and beautiful design, this visual tour through a slice of American history will provide both invaluable information and immense satisfaction.
