XXVI. He beareth Sable, a Cording Augre, (or Auger) and Pin, Or. These are Instruments of Wood, whose use is only for the Cording of Beds, to strain the Ropes streight, for Matts and Beds to ly upon. The Carpenter useth such a like Pin to this of Iron, or sometime of Wood, which is called an Hook-pin, whose office it is to pin the frame of a Floor, or frame of a Roof or Wall-plate together while they are fitting each piece to its place; it is taper in the shank, therefore easily taken out of the hole, with a Hammer striking either under the hook, or at the bottom of it.
XXVII. He beareth Argent, an Hold-Fast, and a Gimblet, Sable. This is another fashioned Gimblet in the head, than that formerly mentioned numb. 1. that having the handle round and cut off at each end, but this hath the handle direct oval or like an Egg; the Bitt being in the end like the Bitt of an Augre or Oger.
The Joyners Hold-Fast, is an Instrument of Iron, which being put into a loose hole of a Joyners Bench, and the Beak set upon any piece of Timber, with the Knock of an Hammer or Mallet upon the head of it, will cause the Work to ly fast upon the Bench till the Work-man either Saw, Tennant, Mortess, or Plain it; in the Hold-Fast there are these several terms.
The Shank, which is round, and goes through the hole of the Bench. The Head is the square, on which the Mallet striketh. The Beake, the flat end which is crooked downwards, the very point being either round or square, is made flattish, which is called the Beak end.
XXVIII. He beareth Sable, a Stock of a Tree in Bend, couped at both ends, Or; cut half through with a Whip or Framing Saw, Fess wise, Argent, Handles of the second. This is a Dutch Coat born by the name of Van Saugesbergh. This is also Blazoned thus, a Whip Saw slitting or cutting in two a Stock of a Tree couped in the ends; but the first is much better termed.
The Whip Saw, of some termed a Framing Saw, is a long Saw used between two persons to Saw such great pieces of Timber or other Stuff that the Hand Saw will not easily reach through; when they use it, the Timber is laid upon a Trussel, and the Men stand on either side of it, and so Saw it through; he to whom the Teeth of the Saw points, draws to him, the other thrusts from him.
The remainder of the Joyners Tools for working, you will see chap. 8. numb. 132. to 143. to which place I must now refer you and fall to another employ.
— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter IX. Why am I reading this?
so here is the Carpenters’ Hook pin, also discussed by Moxon. the closest we get to the draw-bore pin favored by the likes of you & me for dinky little joinery. Did 17th century English joiners use draw-bore pins? We know they drawbored the joints…but we have no evidence they used iron pins to test the fit. Alexander & I have adopted them, mostly based on the Hook pin use…Chris, did you get on to drawbore pins from some later source?