Smith & Hawken: The Tool Book

by William Bryant Logan

Book Overview

Nearly 20 years ago, Smith and Hawken began business as an importer of fine English spades and forks. In "The Tool Box", Smith and Hawken and author William Bryant Logan celebrate garden tools in all their pleasure, practicality, variety, ingenuity, and purity. The "bible of garden tools" has full color photos throughout, featuring more than 440 tools. This is the perfect gift for gardeners and for readers who appreciate and collect tools.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761108556
• ISBN13: 9780761108559
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Workman Publishing
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 3.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 8.2" x 12.1"

Customer Reviews

Beautifully executed and informative

While I have owned this book for many years, I just recently had reason to use it as a resource and have found it much more than a pretty face. While the format and photographs are gorgeous, this book is an excellent reference for a variety of tools. I've found that there are many more ways to skin a cat (e.g. hoe the garden) than with my former favorite garden swoe. And learning the history of these tools has enriched my appreciation of gardeners as an independent and innovative lot. If you love gardening and tools, this is one you may want to add to your library!

Reference for Design

I purchased this book for a design class where we were making gardening tools to get a better knowledge of the products, and let me tell you it was worth it. This book goes very in depth with not only how the tool is used but how it should be made and the "rituals" surrounding each tool. Also, although I'm not a gardener myself, I could see this book being an invaluable reference or even as a great guide to those just starting out in the gardening world.

A good book for choosing garden tools

If you are a beginning gardener and don't know the difference between a shovel and a spade, or what to use them for, this book is immensely useful. It is certainly worth the price and the time it takes to browse through it to find and understand the exact tools you will need for your individual garden before you go out shopping. In addition to pages of full color pictures of each tool, it contains historic accounts regarding the tools and some nice quotes about gardening. After reading this book I felt like I understood garden tools, whereas prior to reading it, I just used tools in a haphazard way without understanding their purpose and how they could help me in the garden.

Truly wonderful

A piece of art, fits the coffee table and yet is packed with valuable information