Hand Tools
5/14/2013 10:09:07 AM
String trimmers, brush cutters, edgers, and even the humble ax all have a place on your place, saving you time and effort.
5/10/2013 4:19:01 PM
Lawn care tips to help you create a perfect yard.
1/29/2013 11:05:19 AM
On small farms, draft animals and farming with oxen might be practical and satisfying alternatives to the conventional tractor.
11/8/2012 12:26:32 PM
Smaller version of the original Gardener’s Hollow Leg is perfect for picking dinner!
10/30/2012 3:53:17 PM
A weather-resistant hands-free flashlight.
10/29/2012 11:42:25 AM
A list of great gift ideas for the 2012 holiday season.
8/14/2012 9:58:59 AM
Hank reports on the final assembly and installation of his homemade kitchen island.
6/25/2012 12:50:50 PM
Hank Will shows you how to make hay by hand using his Austrian-style scythe with a custom snath.
4/18/2012 9:40:14 AM
Kasey Moomau demonstrates how to cut brick with a hammer and chisel.
3/12/2012 2:23:48 PM
Louisiana woman recalls whittling as a pastime and useful skill from the depression era.
3/12/2012 8:21:55 AM
Iowan remembers the sad times of the depression era, and the doll bed that her mother made her with only a coping saw, knife, and hammer.
2/29/2012 8:55:25 AM
Kansan woman recalls her grandma using her apron as an all-purpose pot-lifter, apple carrier, chick rescuer, signal, and shawl during the depression era
2/29/2012 8:29:32 AM
Missouri woman remembers her father during the depression era, undertaking corn planting with a horse-drawn plow.
2/29/2012 8:13:32 AM
Massachusetts woman recalls her father trying to locate underground water with both a water drilling rig and by dowsing to no avail during the depression era
2/27/2012 12:00:18 PM
Oregon woman recalls using galvanized tub for washing clothes, dishes, and family members during the depression era.
2/20/2012 9:54:29 AM
The wedding gifts that one Nebraskan woman received saw her family through the lean times of the depression era
2/17/2012 12:12:38 PM
Designed to meet the needs of the growing ranks of female hunters
2/15/2012 10:19:06 AM
An Iowan talks about the ways in which the wood cookstove was used on her family farm
2/15/2012 8:55:21 AM
Nebraskan remembers her childhood on her family farm: her grandparents' old homestead
2/13/2012 10:29:41 AM
An Illinois woman recalls her wood cookstove and other cherished conveniences on her family farm
2/13/2012 10:21:47 AM
A Tennessee woman recalls the chore of churning butter as a girl
2/13/2012 9:59:08 AM
Kansas woman recalls her parents milking their Jersey cow and using a cold-water milk separator
2/13/2012 9:28:30 AM
Kansas woman recalls being a farmhand on the family farm, raking hay, cultivating corn, and taking care of mules and cattle
2/13/2012 8:41:22 AM
Illinois resident shares his fond memories of rural America during the Great Depression, describing his childhood on the family farm
2/9/2012 4:04:18 PM
An Iowa man talks about his memories of playing in his grandfather's farm shop on his family farm
2/9/2012 3:29:17 PM
A woman recalls growing up on a Wisconsin farmstead without electricity during the Great Depression
1/4/2012 12:41:00 PM
Hank's kitchen project takes an illuminating turn.
12/12/2011 10:15:12 AM
Hank reports on building his kitchen island's cabinet doors and drawer fronts.
12/5/2011 9:51:16 AM
Hank reports on building the drawer boxes for his kitchen island using home grown lumber.
11/29/2011 12:00:29 PM
New old-style walk-behind seeders will save on labor and seed.
11/28/2011 12:01:01 PM
Hank reports on enclosing the sides and bottom of his kitchen island and converting black walnut logs into planks for its top.
11/10/2011 12:27:16 PM
Forget the socks this holiday season; Fiskars’ ShopBoss is a gift as handy as he is
11/8/2011 12:50:13 PM
Hank reports on using hand tools to complete most of the homemade kitchen island's framing.
11/2/2011 12:10:36 PM
Rugged fixed-blade latest collaborative effort by TOPS and Buck Knives.
10/18/2011 1:32:12 PM
After a long hot summer, Hank finally gets the kitchen island project started.
8/12/2011 9:04:35 AM
When painting a home with a wood exterior, it's not unusual to find areas that are worn and weathered. In extreme cases, the entire house may be weather-beaten.
8/10/2011 3:13:18 PM
Hank shows us how to build a gate using material fresh from the woodlot.
8/5/2011 10:07:12 AM
LensPen HunterPro kit includes everything you need to keep your optics clean, whether you’re tracking on a dusty trail, or out on the lake at dawn.
7/29/2011 9:07:21 AM
Serious outdoorsmen know that a good knife is essential, and Buck Knives knows that safety and weight matters too. Their new Model 766 Revel lockblade knife was created to meet these needs.
6/8/2011 4:30:42 PM
Be sure you have suitable basic pruning tools on hand for pruning chores all times of the year.
5/5/2011 3:28:05 PM
Sales for Simple Pump, a hand-operated well pump, have tripled compared to the same time last year, as word about its versatility, reliability and durability have spread.
4/27/2011 3:40:18 PM
Buck Knives brings a new blend of slimline elegance and performance features to gentlemen's knives with their new series of three lightweight Lux framelock folders.
4/8/2011 11:32:51 AM
Hank is impressed with Clarington Forge's Strapped Manure Fork.
3/23/2011 4:40:21 PM
Patented, ergonomic feeder, the Better Bucket reduces behavioral problems. The angular design better accommodates the animal’s facial structure, allowing a more natural eating manner.
3/16/2011 11:14:20 AM
Hank recommends three new-old do it yourself titles.
3/15/2011 4:00:30 PM
Hank gives a progress report on the kitchen renovation project at his 104 year old farmhouse.
3/9/2011 3:55:10 PM
Kriste Misiak won the grand prize of the GRIT-MOTHER EARTH NEWS Ultimate Garden Giveaway. The prize couldn't have went to a more fitting family.
2/24/2011 12:01:55 PM
Hank reports some success with revitalizing and repurposing dated kitchen cabinet doors.
2/9/2011 1:34:56 PM
Learning how to use a loom let me use Grandma's instrument to weave generations together with homemade rugs.
1/31/2011 11:04:39 AM
Hank builds a mudroom key cabinet that does more than store keys.
1/24/2011 9:13:02 AM
Hank builds an unlikely but lovely walnut bench.
1/17/2011 9:30:46 AM
Hank reports on his adventures in pantry cabinet making.
12/10/2010 12:29:19 PM
Hank's really impressed with his GrainMaker hand-powered grain mill.
11/8/2010 2:36:01 PM
Hank reports on building a new pasture gate using supplies from the woodlot.
10/7/2010 12:21:46 PM
Hank raves about a new book on unusual antique tools.
10/6/2010 4:03:11 PM
Finding joy in making hay the old-fashioned way.
8/12/2010 10:10:30 AM
Hank enjoys mowing with his new custom-fit scythe outfit.
8/10/2010 1:27:34 PM
Hank's growing corn this year, as usual, and he's growing a lot of it.
7/28/2010 5:35:43 PM
Buck Knives has a new answer: the 652 Nighthawk Bravo, with a super-tough 4” BESH Wedge blade. It has an extra-stout reinforced tip for maximum penetration strength.
6/1/2010 12:06:06 PM
Hank is in wheel hoe heaven with the Hoss Tools Deluxe model.
5/28/2010 1:05:39 PM
Susy and her mom work on garden preparation and plant a few early vegetables.
2/5/2010 4:49:40 PM
Rodeo puts together a round bale feeder, in her usual, unusual style.
2/3/2010 2:39:02 PM
Hank reports on his favorite book for 2009.
1/28/2010 4:50:01 PM
The garden hoe, an ancient tool, is still the go-to item for any gardener.
9/4/2009 3:34:32 PM
Leatherman Super Tool 300 gets KC reminiscing about her first Leatherman Tool.
8/11/2009 4:04:35 PM
In a return to tradition, Leatherman brings back the original heavy-duty multi-tool, the Super Tool 300, to help DIYers and working folk tackle the toughest jobs.
6/16/2009 4:55:45 PM
Ties and watches may be nice, but fathers are guys, too. And what guy doesn’t like a good gadget, a helpful piece of gear or a whirling gizmo?
6/12/2009 3:16:15 PM
This work bench has so many uses for such a simple piece of equipment.
4/13/2009 11:13:48 AM
Hank falls in love with the RetroRazor shaver.
2/3/2009 2:43:59 PM
In the long run, well-designed and soundly made tools are more effective, pleasant and even safer to use.
2/3/2009 1:46:06 PM
Trading petroleum for muscle will keep you in shape and save you money.
2/2/2009 4:16:55 PM
Keep cutting tools in prime condition with these easy steps.
1/30/2009 4:16:25 PM
These devices will help you diversify your individual trees.
1/30/2009 3:51:05 PM
Graft a few varieties to a single fruit tree and check out new tastes.
12/10/2008 8:58:11 AM
Hank reports on the best work gloves he has ever experienced.
12/3/2008 11:37:11 AM
My first experience sharpening knives with bench stones was easy and effective.
12/2/2008 2:22:56 PM
Check off your holiday list the tool enthusiast who has everything, because the Tradesberry Multi-Tool is just what you’re looking for.
12/1/2008 4:39:30 PM
From websites to addresses, we'll tell you where to go to get some sharpening stones of your own.
12/1/2008 4:08:16 PM
Easy process leads to the finest of edges.
12/1/2008 3:02:23 PM
Protect your floor with recycled materials.
12/1/2008 2:30:15 PM
A guide for which tools work best with different vegetables.
11/21/2008 7:33:40 AM
Hank reminisces about making tomato sauce with a Squeezo Strainer.
11/5/2008 9:25:40 AM
Hank is reel happy about Sunlawn's human-powered mowers.
6/25/2008 2:10:13 PM
For do-it-yourself enthusiasts, the right garden compact tractor brings lawn and landscaping work to a whole new level.
4/30/2008 9:20:58 AM
Modern cleaning technology gets the dirt out.
4/10/2008 4:55:12 PM
Invention helps everyone and anyone maintain a compost pile.
3/13/2008 3:20:41 PM
Indispensable team pulls you through many projects.
1/1/2008 12:00:00 AM
Make a few winter cuts to keep trees and shrubs in shape.
9/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
During the past year, I have accumulated a number of products that won't fit neatly into a theme-based column in the foreseeable future.
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Knock out tedious and grungy tasks with gear that really works.
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Keeping your yardwork peaceful and injury-free is a simple matter of foresight and vigilance.
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises the following to prevent injuries from lawn and garden equipment.
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Sustainably manage unwanted vegetation, and hold your own among the coffee shop weed wranglers.
3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Handy, sturdy and nifty as can be, the multi-tool represents pocketknife-and-pliers evolution on steroids.
3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
This is by no means an exhaustive list of multi-tool manufacturers, but it represents some of the best.
1/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
Not your father’s plumber’s torch, today’s handy torches help you melt ice, free rusted bolts and even make a classic crème brûlée.
1/1/2007 12:00:00 AM
A torch can be a wonderful addition to any kitchen. You could caramelize your crème brûlée with the flamethrower you used on the dandelions, but why try? For one thing, you might catch the kitchen on fire; for another, if you use a propane-fueled torch in the kitchen, everything might taste like propane. This is not a desirable trait in most food products.
11/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
It isn't that we mean to be tool snobs. We just want tools that really work.
9/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
This easy bentwood trellis will fulfill all your garden trellis needs.