Interesting look at tools of early America with great explanations of how they were used. ( )

My dad turned me onto Sloane. I love satisfying my craving to learn something that I'll never use, and would never learn in school, but which is still interesting. It's especially interesting because Sloane's own passion shines in his writing. ( )

Overview of old tools, both hand tools and larger, including lots of drawings showing how they work.

Excellent book about early American tools. Sloane is an accomplished artist and does all of the pen sketches illustrating the very many tools described. ( )

Like so many of Sloane's books, this is a good, quick overview of the subject. In this case, the tools that the Colonists of the US used, about mid 1700's to early 1800's. His sketches are wonderful (he was a very talented artist) & his understanding of the subject is such that he doesn't overwhelm the novice with too much information, yet has enough that even someone very familiar with the subject will find it a joy to read. He not only explains the tools, but how & why they were used, albeit briefly.Many a fantasy author who writes about low tech worlds could benefit by reading this book. I use many of these tools as a hobby & one of my pet peeves is an author misunderstanding the use of basic hand tools. ( )