tool time
Classic tools look great on the shelf and help you get the job done—truly a beautiful thing.
Tom Joyce, a world-renowned blacksmith who lives in Santa Fe, hand-forged these blacksmithing tools and uses them every day. The hammers’ handles are made of hickory for the wood’s somewhat elastic nature.
Claw hammers, from approximately $6.
Clockwise from top (all prices are approximate): Thirteen-in-one multi-tip screwdriver, $14.50. Brace and bit drill with four tips, $99. Six-in-one multi-tip screwdriver, $5. Five-in-one multi-tip screwdriver, $4.50.
Clockwise from top left (prices are approximate): Hand saw, from $16. Japanese folding saw, $30.50. Folding curved saw, from $21.
Left to right: Yankee drill, from approximately $80. Hand drill, from approximately $12.50.
It doesn’t take a blacksmith or a builder to appreciate the allure of tools. Basic, well-designed tools are indispensable for every household. The four most essential tools, arguably, are an interchangeable-tip screwdriver, a saw, a claw hammer, and a hand drill, a classic tool that functions without electricity—very handy in a pinch.
When you purchase these tools, Jim George at Alpine Builders Supply Co. in Santa Fe suggests thinking about your hand size and the tool’s weight. Consider whether the tool functions ambidextrously. When shopping for a saw, think about whether a crosscut, bow, or pull cut saw will work best for your purposes.
A musty garage or workshop with a pegboard covered in tools brings back fond memories—and the sense of self-sufficiency that you can build or repair anything.