Lost Art Press

The last few days I’ve thrown up (probably a poor choice of words) on this blog a lot of excess tools that I’m selling. To balance the Karmic scales, as they are, I’m trying to give something back. And that something is excerpts from Randle Holme III’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon.”

This enormous 17th-century three-book work is partly an explanation of healdic symbols, but it also is an encyclopedia of the 17th-century world.

Peter Follansbee introduced me to Holme a few years ago on his blog and I’ve read snippets of it on some academic web sites that Managing Editor Megan Fitzpatrick has access to through the University of Cincinnati.

But this week, Megan did a bad thing. She checked out the entire 1972 reprint of Holme’s work by The Scolar Press Limited from the library for me, and I have been chugging through it in between 4th-grade volleyball games, editing magazine copy and waiting for glue to dry.

Here’s an odd fact about me: I always learn new material better if I type it in, and I really would like to have the full text of Holme’s sections on woodworking at my fingertips because I already see some interesting things in there that relate to Joseph Moxon and Richard Neve’s works.

So in my spare time, I’m typing in the parts of the text that interest me. And I decided to post them on the blog because it’s frustrating how difficult this information can be to come by (I cannot find this on GoogleBooks, and the 1972 reprint is difficult to find).

Why am I not providing comment or context? Because I’m still digesting things. You are getting this at the same speed that I am. But the bottom line is that it will be here for you to come back to when we’re all ready to discuss it.

All of the Holme entries are tagged “The Academy of Armory” at the bottom. So you can get to it at any time using the categories on the left side of your screen.

Sorry if it has been off-putting.

— Christopher Schwarz

CXXXVIII. The first Tool in this square is termed a Miter square, of a contrary form to the following, mentioned chap. 9. numb. 17. It hath an Handle (or top part) an Inch thick, and three broad, with a Tongue of the same breadth, and for length 5, 6, or more inches, according to the breadt of the Work: it is to be Glewed into the Handle by a Mortess and Pinned. V. 3 such O. is born by Mitterall.

The second Instrument is a Gage, or square Gage, from the square piece that runs upon the Staff; but of this see more chap. 9 numb. 18. The parts of it are these, the Staff, the hinder end of it; the fore-end in which the Tooth is, the Tooth, and the square or oval, which is that as slips up and down upon the Staff. B. 3 such O. a Chief A. is born by Gagger.

The third is termed a Miter Bar, it is composed of pieces of Wood, of an inch thick each, then nailed together,the one an upright piece, and the other a bottom piece, and on the upright piece, on its upper side are the Miter Lines strucken with the Miter square, from the middle to the right hand, and on the left, which are sawed down to the bottom of the said upright piece. This is a way used by Joyners that make many Frames, to save themselves the Labour of drawing out of Squares, Miters, and several Bevils upon their Stuff.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter VIII, Plate 2.

CXXXVII. The first Instrument or Tool in this square, is called an Inch Gouge, without any Handle or Helve, with these sorts and sizes of Chissels Joyners are accommodated to do all kinds of Works both big and little. S. 3 such A. Handles O. is born by Gouge.

The second Tool is termed an Auger Bit, sans Handle; it is an half round Tool in the working or cutting part of it, with the bottom edge turned inwards, one corner thereof being set a little above the other, which occasions the sinking or cutting deep into the Wood, and so by degrees cuts a hole through.

The third Tool is the Saw Wrest; it is an Instrument of Iron either set in a handle or not, for it may be used as well without; in the edge of it are made three or four, or more Nicks; with this (the Joyner having Filed the Teeth of his Saw) he sets the said Teeth; that is, he puts one of the Nicks or Notches of the Wrest between the first two Teeth of the Blade of the Saw, and then turns the Wrest, and it will turn one Tooth to you, and the other from you; and so do all along the Saw: This setting of the Teeth of the Saw (as Work-men call it) is to make the Kerfe wide enough for the Back to follow the edge; and is set ranker (that is, more bending outward) for soft and course cheap Stuff, than for hard and costly Wood.

A. 3 such B. the Handle erected O. is born by Shawrest.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter VIII, Plate 2.

CXXXVI. In this quarter in the first place, is a Skew Former, having the edge deeper down in one part than another: It is seldom used by Joyners, but for the cleansing of acute Angles, with its acute angles on its edges, where other angled Chissels will not so well come, and also for making of long and narrow Mortesses in Rails, Stiles and Muntons, &c.

The second in this quarter, is termed a Gouge, which is a Chissel having a round edge, and is for the cutting of such Wood as is to be rounded or hollowed: Of these there are several sorts from a quarter of an Inch Gouge, to an Inch and half, some being almost half round, others more open, as in the next Figure. G. 3 such A. Hafts O. by the name of Gouger.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter VIII, Plate 2.

CXXXV. These are three sorts of Chissels, the first is the Paring Chissel, this hath a very fine smooth edge; its office is to follow the Former, and to pare off the Irregularities the Former doth make; but of this see more chap. 9. numb. 1.

The second is termed a Former, it is a Chissel used before the Paring Chissel in all works, even as the Fore Plain is used before the Smoothing Plain, when it is used the Helve of it is knockt upon with the Mallet, to drive the edge of it into the Stuff: There are several Sizes of these kind of Chissels, from a quarter of an Inch, to an Inch and half broad.

The third is another kind of Chissel of the nature of a Former, only it is broad at the Basil or edge part, and groweth taper all along after till it comes to the shouldering; of these there are diverse Sizes, from half or quarter of an Inch, to an Inch and half, and have their terms according to their breadth, as an half Inch Former, an Inch Former, &c.

The proper posture for these kind of Tools are to have their edges or cutting part downwards, if otherwise then to be mentioned.

S. a Fess between 2 such the Basils erected, and a third A. Hasts· O. born by the name of Former.

— From Randle Holme’s “The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon” Book III, Chapter VIII, Plate 2.