Hand tool

A hand tool is any tool that is powered by hand rather than a motor.^[1] Categories of hand tools include wrenches, pliers, cutters, files, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, hacksaws, drills, and knives.

Outdoor tools such as garden forks, pruning shears, and rakes are additional forms of hand tools. Portable power tools are not hand tools.

History

Hand tools have been used by humans since the Stone Age, when stone tools were used for hammering and cutting. During the Bronze Age, tools were made by casting alloys of copper and tin. Bronze tools were sharper and harder than those made of stone. During the Iron Age iron replaced bronze, and tools became even stronger and more durable. The Romans developed tools during this period which are similar to those being produced today. After the Industrial Revolution, most tools were made in factories rather than by craftspeople.^[2]^: 2

A large collection of British hand tools dating from 1700 to 1950 is held by St Albans Museum. Most of the tools were collected by Raphael Salaman (1906–1993), who wrote two classic works on the subject: Dictionary of Woodworking Tools^[3] and Dictionary of Leather-working Tools.^[4] David Russell's vast collection of Western hand tools from the Stone Age to the twentieth century led to the publication of his book Antique Woodworking Tools.^[5]

General categories

The American Industrial Hygiene Association gives the following categories of hand tools:^[2] wrenches, pliers, cutters, striking tools, struck or hammered tools, screwdrivers, vises, clamps, snips, saws, drills and knives.

References

^ Scott P. Schneider (1998). "Tools". In Jeanne Mager Stellman (ed.). Chemical, industries and occupations. Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Vol. 3 (4th ed.). International Labour Organization. pp. 93.33 – 93.34. ISBN 978-92-2-109816-4.
^ ^a ^b Cacha, Charles A. (1999). Ergonomics and Safety in Hand Tool Design. CRC. ISBN 1566703085.
^ Salaman, R. A. (1997 edition revised by Philip Walker; first published in 1975 by George Allen & Unwin [Publishers] Ltd). Dictionary of Woodworking Tools, c. 1700–1970 Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press ISBN 978-1-879335-79-0.
^ Salaman, R. A. (1996). Dictionary of Leather-working Tools, c.1700–1950, and the Tools of Allied Trades Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press ISBN 978-1-879335-72-1.
^ Russell, David R., with Robert Lesage and photographs by James Austin, cataloguing assisted by Peter Hackett (2010). Antique Woodworking Tools: Their Craftsmanship from the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century Cambridge: John Adamson ISBN 978-1-898565-05-5 OCLC 727125586.

[Schneider-1] Scott P. Schneider (1998). "Tools". In Jeanne Mager Stellman (ed.). Chemical, industries and occupations. Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety. Vol. 3 (4th ed.). International Labour Organization. pp. 93.33 – 93.34. ISBN 978-92-2-109816-4.

[Cacha-2] Cacha, Charles A. (1999). Ergonomics and Safety in Hand Tool Design. CRC. ISBN 1566703085.

[3] Salaman, R. A. (1997 edition revised by Philip Walker; first published in 1975 by George Allen & Unwin [Publishers] Ltd). Dictionary of Woodworking Tools, c. 1700–1970 Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press ISBN 978-1-879335-79-0.

[4] Salaman, R. A. (1996). Dictionary of Leather-working Tools, c.1700–1950, and the Tools of Allied Trades Mendham, NJ: Astragal Press ISBN 978-1-879335-72-1.

[5] Russell, David R., with Robert Lesage and photographs by James Austin, cataloguing assisted by Peter Hackett (2010). Antique Woodworking Tools: Their Craftsmanship from the Earliest Times to the Twentieth Century Cambridge: John Adamson ISBN 978-1-898565-05-5 OCLC 727125586.

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v t e Hand tools
Sawhorse Toolbox Workbench
Adjustable spanner Antique tools Basin wrench Block plane Brace Bradawl Breaker bar Cat's paw Caulking gun Clamp Crimper Crowbar Dead-blow hammer Fish tape Gimlet Glass breaker Grease gun Hammer Hammer tacker Hawk Headlamp Hex key Hole punch Impact driver Jack Locking pliers Lug wrench Mallet Mitre box Monkey wrench Multi-tool Nut driver Paint roller Paintbrush Pencil sharpener Persian drill Pincers Pipe wrench Pliers Plumber wrench Plumber's snake Plunger Podger spanner Punch Punch down tool Scratch awl Screwdriver Sledgehammer Slide hammer Socket wrench Spike maul Staple gun Stitching awl Strap wrench Tactical light Tire iron Tongue-and-groove pliers Torque wrench Tweezers Upholstery hammer Wrench
Types of tools Cleaning Cutting and abrasive Forestry Garden Hand Kitchen Machine and metalworking Masonry Measuring and alignment Mining Power Textile Woodworking

v t e Hand tool manufacturers
Current	Apex Tool Group Allen Armstrong Tools Crescent Diamond K-D Tools Lufkin Nicholson Plumb SATA Tools Wiss Xcelite Beta Utensili Bondhus Bosch Dremel OTC Buck Bros. Channellock Cornwell Tools Cyclone Tools DASCO PRO, INC. Dawn Tools Digitool Solutions Disston Saw Works EGA Master Eklind Emerson Greenlee Klauke Ridgid Empire Level Estwing Felo FEW Fiskars Gerber Footprint Tools Gardner Bender Gedore Gray Tools Dynamic Tools Great Neck Saw Grey Pneumatic GreatStar SK Hand Tools Hazet Hans tools Heyco Hilti Husqvarna Gardena Ideal Industries Pratt-Read iFixit IMPERIAL-Newton Corp KC Tools Kincrome King Tony Tools Klein Tools Knipex KUKKO Leatherman Lie-Nielsen Toolworks Lisle Corporation Lowell Corporation M7 Mighty-Seven Matco Tools Martin Tool & Forge Maun Industries Mondial Mountz Inc Mumme Tools Norbar Torque Oregon Tool Park Tool PB Swiss Tools Saltus Sandvik SENCO Snap-on Bahco CDI Torque Products Williams SOG Stahlwille Stanley Black & Decker Blackhawk Bostitch Craftsman DeWalt Irwin Lenox Mac Tools Porter-Cable Proto Sidchrome Stanley Hand Tools Stihl Stubai Sutton Tools Texton Textron Paladin Tools Techtronic Industries Milwaukee Thorsen Manufacturing Tomé Fèteira Tone Tools Toptul Torque-Tech Unior Vaughan Vessel Vesper Tools Victorinox Wenger Warren and Brown Wera Tools Westcott Westward Tools Wiha Tools Witte Tools Wright Tool
Historic	Coes Wrench Company Easco Hand Tools Forest City Screwdriver and Drill Company Goodell-Pratt Hinsdale Holtzapffel Indestro Mathieson McKaig-Hatch Millers Falls New Britain Machine Company Norris North Brothers Manufacturing Company Preston H. D. Smith & Co. Stewart Spiers Utica Tools Bonney Forge Herbrand Vlchek Western Forge
Current house brands	Ace Hardware Ace Tools AutoZone Duralast Blain's Farm and Fleet Duracraft Canadian Tire Mastercraft Grainger Westward Harbor Freight Tools Atlas Bauer Chicago Electric Drill Master Hercules Pittsburgh Quinn ICON Warrior The Home Depot Husky Lee Valley Veritas Lowe's Kobalt Menards Masterforce True Value Master Mechanic
Historic house brands	Montgomery Ward PowrKraft JCPenney Penncraft

Authority control databases
National	Japan Czech Republic 2
Other	Yale LUX

v t e Types of tools
Types of tools Cleaning Cutting and abrasive Forestry Garden Hand Kitchen Machine and metalworking Masonry Measuring and alignment Mining Power Textile Woodworking
Categories Tools Commons Tools

Hand tool

History

General categories

See also

References