A Sketchbook of Inventions, Curiosities, and Lore

Beautifully arranged in an A-Z format, the noted artist Eric Sloane presents this rich and varied collections of American firsts – from the salt box house to basketball, hex signs to ear trumpets, popcorn to rocking chairs. Taking his cue from early Americans' interest in the lore and beauty of the English alphabet, Sloane arranged this beautifully illustrated book in an A-Z format, decorating each page with his own fine hand lettering and including a brief caption to elucidate the origin and use of every subject he pictured.

Format: Softcover.   Dimensions: 8 1/2" x 11"    Pages: 30    Illustrations: 52

An Age of Barns

An Illustrated Review of Classic Barn Styles & Construction

"An Age of Barns" preserves the heritage handed down to us by those who settled America: dependable, resourceful pioneers who built these amazing barns, often before the family home was finished, and usually with the help of the entire community. These barns are remarkable for the skill with which they were created and the beauty that matches their usefulness. An Age of Barns preserves the heritage handed down to us by the individuals who settled America: dependable, resourceful pioneers who revered excellence above all. While structures erected today rarely outlive their builders, the early Americans created barns so honest and enduring that many still stand after two or three hundred years. This classic folksy history of barn folklore, architecture, and history is filled with thousands of fabulous black-and-white sketches that illustrate all types of American and Canadian barns and everything associated with them. “Those who seek the spirit of America might do well to look first in the countryside, for it was there that the spirit was born.” Often built before the family home was finished, and usually with the help of the entire community, these barns are remarkable for the skill with which they were created and the beauty that matches their usefulness. An Age of Barns preserves the heritage handed down to us by the individuals who settled America: dependable, resourceful pioneers who revered excellence above all. While structures erected today rarely outlive their builders, the early Americans created barns so honest and enduring that many still stand after two or three hundred years. This classic folksy history of barn folklore, architecture, and history is filled with thousands of fabulous black-and-white sketches that illustrate all types of American and Canadian barns and everything associated with them. “Those who seek the spirit of America might do well to look first in the countryside, for it was there that the spirit was born.”

Format: Softcover.   Dimensions: 11" x 9"   Pages: 94   Illustrations: 240

American Wrench Makers, 2nd Edition

An extremely comprehensive and valuable historical directory for the wrench, the most intriguing of all tools. It is a truly unique reference source of collectors, dealers and researchers.

Format: Softcover.   Dimensions: 7" x 10"   Pages: 352   Illustrations: 940

Antique Iron - English And American

15th Century Through 1850

Beautiful photographs and concise descriptions of these European, English and American antique pieces of architectural hardware, fireplace equipment, kitchen utensils, weathervanes, and gates from major museums and private collections will fascinate artists, blacksmiths, collectors, and historians alike.

Format: Hardcover.   Dimensions: 8 1/2" x 11"   Pages: 447   Illustrations: 981

The Art of Blacksmithing

Revised edition

This unique book covers every aspect of this fascinating art, the fundamental craft on which the civilization of the Iron Age was built. It describes and illustrates the equipment and the techniques developed in more that six thousand years of working iron by hand. It reflects respect for the specialized skills of the smith and the excitement of the village smithy, which so recently disappeared from the Western world.

Format: Hardcover.   Dimensions: 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"   Pages: 438   Illustrations: over 500

Excellent book covering a vast range of axes starting with the early stone hand axes of the paleolithic period. It began as a history of the evolution of the axe. Since the history of the axe is difficult to separate from the history of man, this study has become the history of early man's stone and metal technology as exemplified by his axe. Technology is not only an important part of every culture, but it also usually affects such other aspect as the economic, political, social and religious. The degree of advancement of man's technology is not only reflected directly in his tools and weapons themselves, but also in his means of agriculture, kinds of transportation, the sophistication of his buildings and the degree of his artistic development. These in turn can be directly affected by the degree of his tool development, which in many cases means his axe.

Format: Hardcover.   Dimensions: 8 1/2" x 11"   Pages: 182   Illustrations: over 100

The Blacksmith and his Art 

 King of the Crafts

This is the story of blacksmithing. It deals in detail with the eight basic operations of smithing and how one may today apply those centuries old pioneer methods in forging new treasures for future generations. A great introduction for young readers.

Format: Softcover.   Dimensions: 8 12" x 11"   Pages: 176   Illustrations: 298