Hot off the mailman's truck comes:
Peter Stubs And The Lancashire Hand Tool Industry. by E. Surrey Dane. 1973
And I do mean hot. It's bright and sunny outside. I managed to grab the book from the mail bin outside our door within a few minutes of delivery but still, it needs to cool off some. Perhaps I'll find a Pint for Mr. Stubs?
Known for the saw files they produced, Stubs raise to dominance in the Lancashire hand tool industry is something I've wanted to know about. I've heard of him for years, held his tools and even used them on occassion. It was always in the back of my mind to hunt down this book. Alas, I never got around to it. Then, this one sort of fell into my lap.
Covering the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, Stubs history discusses the practical, social and financial intricacies of the file and small hand tool industries that typified the Lancashire region. Files, ubiquitous in their nature but barely understood by the average worker of today, surely are due their time in the spotlight?
I am so looking forward to reading this book in it's entirety and will happily report back as I progress through it's warm, comforting pages.
Till next, Gary
