The hsitory of early hand tools.

We take it for granted that hand tools have always been around because we live in a sophisticated society where there is a hand tool for almost every job and they come in a wide range of styles and designs. There are hand tools designed specifically for male, female and children in order to encourage them to get out in the fresh air.

The Romans were apt at using and making hand tools and many of the hand tools we see on the market today, were widely used in the Roman times. Wood carving hand tools were in plentiful supply in order to cut different sized pieces of wood for various jobs.



Towards the end of the 17th Century hand tool sets were readily available and would contain a variety of wood working hand tools. These hand tools were extremely well made and often had the craftsman’s name carved into them. Hand tool sets were kept and reused for generations and were considered important and precious.

The plane was a well used hand tool in the Roman times and was very commonly made of wood and iron. Many of the planes were beautifully made and carved with elaborate designs and styles on the wood.



The Egyptians were also early users of saws which were mainly made of copper, the Egyptians were very good at designing and creating very effective saws which had wooden handles designed for easy use. During the middle of the 16th century the use of steel was used which created a wider saw and eventually the wooden frames were replaced. As time passed smaller and better designed saws were made and this was largely a result of joinery and wood work becoming more complex which resulted in better tools being required.



Vices were also in use in the Roman times and were made by drilling holes into a bench and attaching pegs or rods in order to hold things in place. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the more sophisticated vices began to emerge and the vice’s that we know today, began to appear.



Hand tools are plentiful today and some are very sophisticated in their design but we have the past to thank for the design of many hand tools that were developed. If it wasn’t for our ancestors developing and creating early additions of these hand tools, we would not have been able to continue to perfect the designs.

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