Generally speaking, the so-called famous craftsmen must be remembered in history because their works are extremely accomplished, which is enough to prove the exquisite craftsmanship and the level that surpasses most craftsmen.
However, there is such a famous craftsman. As a piano maker, no works in this field have been found to exist so far. However, with a cabinet full of tools and a carpentry table, he was able to become one of the most famous craftsmen in American history.
This person is Henry Studley (Henry O. Studley, 1838–1925). Today, let’s talk about him and his toolbox.
1. Discovering Studley
In the late 1980s, Peter Hardwick of , Maine, had just completed the "great" project of residential chimneys. He was very proud, so he invited a few friends to celebrate and show off. One of the friends happened to be an insurance agent. On the wall of Hardwick's living room, he discovered an antique cabinet with complicated workmanship and stuffed with various exquisite tools.
People who sell insurance, you know, will not miss any sales opportunity. He strongly recommended that Peter purchase insurance for the antique cabinet. But here comes the question. Before you buy insurance, you must at least know how much the item is worth. Otherwise, why should you determine the premium?
So the insurance agent consulted Fine Woodworking Magazine, the Smithsonian (the Smithsonian) and antique appraisers respectively. When
started, no one took it seriously. At the beginning of the next year, Sandor Nagyszalanczy, senior editor of Fine Woodworking Magazine, happened to be passing through Maine on business, so he decided to stop by to take a look at this "extraordinary" tool box.
Later, when he recalled the scene of opening the box for the first time, he said: At that time, my " jaw dropped to the ground in surprise" .
After he settled his jaw, he began to study this toolbox - measuring, recording, repairing, and publishing an atlas specifically for this toolbox.
In the May 1993 issue, "Fine Woodworking" magazine solemnly introduced the Studley tool box to the majority of woodworking enthusiasts. At the same time, the magazine also included a limited edition poster with only 20,000 copies issued, which is the one below. This poster has now become a collectible and is worth a lot of money.
I have collected the electronic version of this magazine. Interested friends can send me a private message to ask for the download link.
As various reports poured in, Peter Hardwick's peaceful life was completely over. A large number of letters from readers filled his mailbox. Soon after, he received a visit from David Shayt, director of the National Museum of American History.
Yes, for the United States, items from a hundred years ago can be classified as cultural relics.
At that time, Peter was in a dilemma: Sell it, because he really couldn’t bear to part with it, after all, this thing can be regarded as a historical monument of the United States; keep it, the environment at home is neither safe nor conducive to the preservation of this national treasure.
In the end, Schott came up with a seemingly stupid idea, but it had the best of both worlds: Why not lend this box to our museum for a period of 10 years, and we will cover all maintenance during this period.
Remember this picture, there is an explanation below!
Finally Peter agreed. Throughout his life, he was deeply proud of this correct decision.
So, who was Henry Studley?
2. Henry Studley himself
This is the only photo of Studley left in the world. The toolbox is in the center of the photo. It can be seen that he must be very fond of and proud of this work.
Studley was born in Massachusetts, USA. It is said that his father was a talented engineer.
There is very little information about Studley's life. Later generations inferred that his career probably took place after the American Civil War and before World War I (about 100 years ago). He joined the infantry of Massachusetts in the Civil War and was captured in Galveston, Texas in 1863. But was later exchanged and rejoined the Union Army. After the war, he returned to Quincy and eventually married.
According to the obituary published in the Quincy Patriot magazine after Studley's death in 1925, he returned to his hometown of Quincy after the war and worked for the Smith (SMITH) Organ Company for 25 years. Later, with the decline of the pipe organ and the popularity of the piano, he joined the Poole Piano Co. in Boston.
You may think that a piano is a box made of several boards, with complex steel wires and mechanical structures inside. Although the production process is relatively demanding, there seems to be no room for craftsmen to use it.
However, the pianos of that era were not what they are now. I have attached a picture below so that everyone can understand:
Amazing, right?
The decorative details found on pianos of that era were undoubtedly the inspiration for many of the decorative details found in Studley's toolbox. Although this aesthetic seems somewhat unattainable in modern times, it was in this atmosphere that Stulli perfected his skills and completed that famous tool box.
This toolbox was so eye-catching that even the obituary confirmed the preciousness of this legacy: "One of the most striking works he created is a tool cabinet, a most ingenious invention, containing tools of various sizes and varieties."
Before his death, he gave this beloved toolbox to a friend, a decision that proved to be the right one. Because this friend's grandson preserved his cherished box into modern times, and under his protection, the box was revealed to the world.
And "this grandson" is Peter Hardwick mentioned at the beginning.
3. Details of the toolbox The size of the
toolbox is 39 inches X 19.5 inches X 9.5 inches. Closed dimensions are 22.8cm, 99cm, 45.7cm. The box is designed with a wall-mounted structure and is connected by five hinges when opened. It looks like a book when opened, and a safe dial-style combination lock secures the two pieces when closed.
The main material of this toolbox is mahogany, and it also uses red rosewood, walnut, ebony, ivory, fritillary and other materials. The case was made between about 1890 and 1920, which coincides with the time he was working on pianos, so the materials were likely sourced from the scraps of the Polly Piano Company.
Uh... It smells so familiar. It seems that taking advantage of the public should be the innate instinct of every craftsman.
There are more than 300 tools placed in the small tool box with great artistic sense. As a result, although the box weighs 32.6 kilograms empty, it doubles in weight to 70.7 kilograms when filled with tools. It would take at least three big men to move this box.
Some of these tools were produced before 1900 and were the best hand tools available at the time, and some were made by Studley himself. This includes a complete range of woodworking tools as well as mechanical and metalworking tools. Because there were so many tools, Studley designed complex flip-up trays, folding layers and hidden compartments to utilize space while still providing easy access.
Various parts of the box can be swung out of the box, allowing access to second and even third tier tools.
On the center beams of the left and right boxes, there are two silver plates respectively. The left side says Henry O. Studley, and the right side of says QUINCY, which is Studley's hometown.
Studley was a Freemason, so the decorative elements of the tool box are full of Masonic symbols, including the square and compass emblem, and the royal arch emblem.(Conspiracy theorists are welcome to step in)
Each tool in the box fits snugly into the space specially made for it, and there is often an audible click as the tool snaps into its tight-fitting cavity, a display of Studley's masterful craftsmanship.
The accuracy of the Studley tool box is breathtaking. When closed, the protruding handle on one side can fit into the gap of the plane on the other side, and the distance between the two is even less than 1/8 inch (0.3cm). Researchers believe that the inspiration for this clever compact design likely comes from piano-making technology. Because of the complex mechanical structure constructed in a small space, this is one of the main characteristics of modern pianos.
The most interior part of the box is divided into three layers. After the outermost layer is flipped up, it is supported by the double-door structure of the second layer, so even the tools on the innermost layer are very convenient to access.
As mentioned above, another manifestation of precision is that almost all tools will make a clicking sound after being put in to indicate that they have been placed in place.
He designed a unique hanging method for some tools with complex structures, which is both beautiful and reasonable.
If you are not too impressed by the compactness of this toolbox, then take a look at the comparison picture below. We use this partial breakdown to appreciate the master's exquisite craftsmanship.
This is a set of 13 tools that were taken out of the box. These tools are located in the upper middle part of the left side of the tool box, occupying only the first layer of the two-layer structure. In other words, 13 tools are concentrated on two small flaps. There is another layer of tools stored in the lower part of this set of tools.
In addition to the dense suspension, there are a number of exquisitely crafted small drawers at the bottom of the box, which contain consumables such as screws and accessories such as whetstones.
Because the density of tools in the box is extremely high, it seriously distracts people's attention. Therefore, the complexity of the toolbox can only be realized after taking out all the tools.
4. Tool details
There are more than three hundred tools in Studley's tool box. Because the design is too clever and the structure is too complex, even if the tool is missing, it is difficult for people to find it. Therefore, it seems that the exact number has not been determined so far (I haven't found it anyway).
The Smithsonian Institution spent 4 years cleaning up all the tools and repairing the box. These tools were laid out all over the place, leaving a deep impression on people.
The following two pictures are comparison photos of the Studley tool box before and after repair. Let's look for the differences and see what changes have been made.
Okay, let’s post the answer. In 2006, the maintenance of the box was carried out as follows:
The tools in the box are basically related to piano production, including woodworking tools and a small number of metalworking tools. Includes the best tools available before 1900, as well as some of Studley's own tools.
Fine Woodworking Magazine makes statistics on these tools. Below is a display of the tools. At the same time, I will list the details of the tools at the back. If you are interested, you can check them out by yourself and learn about some tool shapes from a hundred years ago. I think this kind of understanding is very necessary. Opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. Who knows what will be missed one day?
1. Small machine vise
2. Flat nose pliers.
3. Small redwood handle chisel
4. Small flat nose pliers.
5. L.S. Starrett No. 20 metalworking wide seat square, 2 inches
6. L.S. Starrett ruler, 2 inches
7. Redwood steel square, 4 1/4 inches
8. Redwood steel square , 7 inches
9. Redwood steel square, 10 inches
10 L.S. Starrett No. 4 Square square.
11. L.S. Starrett Inside and Out Diameter Caliper, 3 inches
12. L.S. Starrett No. 490 Protractor with Ruler, 9 inches
13. Small Clock Hammer
14. Large Clock Hammer
15. 3/4 inch
17.WM.A.CLARK adjustable spiral drill bit.
18. Corner handle screwdriver.
19.Scraper.
20. A set of 10 center position hole openers.
21.Inner diameter caliper.
22.Gunsmith`s screwdriver.
23. Stanley 1 planer.
24. L.S. Starrett 14-gauge adjustable square, 2 1/2 in.
25. Adjustable wrench, 3 in.
26. L.S. Starrett 300-gauge steel ruler, 3 in.
27. L.S. Starrett Combination Square.
28. Short post outside wing caliper, 2 1/2 inches.
29. Short post outside the wing caliper, 4-inch
30. Waltham jeweler's screwdriver.
31. Stanley No. 30 plane.
32. Stanley Plane No. 27.
33. Stanley No. 6 plane.
34. Stanley No. 9 plane.
35. Polishing stick with mahogany handle.
36. Rosewood Brass Adjustable Marking Gauge.
37. Birmingham Wood Plane Company thumb plane
38. L.S. Starrett No. 203 spiral micrometer
39. Set of 4 awls with mahogany handles.
40. Stanley No. 4 plane.
41. Stanley 9 and 1/4 planer.
42. Black box grindstone.
43. Center punch of three mechanisms.
44. Taps and dies.
45. Set of 5 sleeve drill bits.
46. Four assorted bits.
47. Set of four piano wire tensioning tools.
48. Ebony handle embossing tool
49. A set of 4 mahogany piano processing tools (inside the drawer).
50. Chisel with mahogany handle, 7/16 inch
51. Two tool similar to a center punch
52. Four Forstner-style drill bits.
53. Ebony and brass slitting gauge.
54. Set of 4 ebony brass marking gauges.
55. Adjustable mortise and tenon gauge in ebony and ivory.
56. Pair of short screwdrivers with mahogany handles, 1 1/2 inches.
57. Needle nose pliers.
58.Cork brass wooden mallet.
59. Set of 11 Russell Jennings bits (2 missing).
60. Set of 10 regular drill bits (2 missing).
61. Brass combined with rosewood bevel, 10 inches.
62. Brass-bound mahogany bevel gauge, 6 inches.
63. A pair of nail pliers.
64. A set of bow drill bits (inside the drill shank).
65. Ebony and brass bow drill (bow missing).
66. Plated ebony and mahogany stand.
67. Internal/external scale caliper, 2 inches
68. Rosewood handle screwdriver, 8 inches.
69. J. Stevens locking wire gauge, 4 inches
70. J. Stevens locking wire gauge, 6 inches
71. Standard music wire gauge
72. British standard wire gauge
73. Twist drill and wire gauge.
74. L.S. Starrett No. 425 scale caliper, 3 inches
75. Wide-nose pliers.
76. L.S. Starrett 287 Depth Gauge.
77. Screwdriver with mahogany handle.
78. Four-fold ivory ruler, 2 feet
79. Ebony and steel through-hole screwdriver ().
80. Set of 12 Buck brothers joinery bevel chisels.
81. A set of 11 bow drill bits.
82. Cabinet screwdriver with flared handle, 5 inches
83. Adapter for mounting bow drill bits to standard drill bit holders.
84. Brass and steel scribers.
85. Small carving knife with mahogany handle.
86. Small screwdriver with horn handle.
87. Redwood handle clip-back saw. 8-inch
88. Redwood handle clip-back saw, 10-inch
89. Brass frame clip-back saw with ebony handle.
90. L.S. Starrett 300 gauge steel ruler, 6 inches
91. Assorted drill bits and drill bit holder (in drawer).
92.Seven mixed countersink drills (in drawer).
93.Stratton Brothers brass bound, mahogany 12-inch level.
94. Screwdriver with mahogany handle.
95. Rosewood handle wire lifting tool.
96. A pair of felt knives with mahogany handles.
(The above names are translated from English. The level is limited and may not be accurate enough. Please forgive me.)
In fact, when the Studley tool box first entered the museum, the condition of these tools was not very perfect.Some tools were shoved into the wrong places, and some were missing. During the repairs in 2006, the museum added the missing parts. The picture below shows which tools were added later.
5. Another of Studley’s artifacts - the carpentry table
Do you still remember the title of the opening chapter? Studley became a god with just two sets of tools. After writing for so long, it seems that I only talked about one tool box, so what is the other set of tools?
is this woodworking table.
Therefore, in some promotional pictures, two sets of works will be displayed at the same time.
6. Postscript
Since the Studley Toolbox was discovered, countless craftsmen have not only worshiped it, but also tried to imitate it. Unfortunately, imitation is too difficult. In addition to imitating the complex structure of the box itself, you also need to collect out-of-print tools and imitate a large number of homemade tools. So most people can only imitate superficially.
However, it seems that in recent years, someone has claimed to have completely copied it. Pictures on the Internet show that it seems to be almost 80% similar:
Unfortunately, I have checked all the information, and there is no detailed report to confirm this. Therefore, it is most likely a rumor.
Important correction: After repeated verification, someone has indeed made a perfect replica of the Studley tool box. This person's name is Jim Moon, and the box he copied looks like this:
Is this picture familiar? Yes, this picture was used above, but I didn’t realize it was a replica at the time. This shows how perfect the replica is. Regarding the story of Jim Moon, we will introduce it specifically next time.
Some people may ask, how much is this toolbox worth? It is said that the box was later sold to an unnamed collector, and the specific price may only be known to the buyer and seller. However, we can speculate on the overall price from the market price of individual instruments.
This Stanley No. 1 plane is installed in the arch. The current market price is about US$700.
This homemade protractor with a unique structure has an estimated market value of approximately US$340.
Okay, that’s all for today’s topic. I am Lao Yan who loves to talk about wood and tools. Follow me and learn about the stories behind wood.
Finally, there is a bonus: a computer desktop with a resolution of 3000*2000. If you need an unmarked picture, you can send me a private message to ask for the link.
In addition to pictures, I have also uploaded some videos of the Studley Toolbox. Interested friends can go to my homepage, click on the video, find and watch it.
Thank you for reading.
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