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Antique & Collectable Hand Tool Market

The next Antique & Collectable Hand Tool Market will be held on Sunday 21st April 2024 9am to 12:30pm.

St. Anthony's Parish Hall
164 Neerim Rd, Corner Neerim & Grange Rds, Caulfield East, VIC 3145 (Melway Ref. 68 F4).
Ample street parking or public transport: Frankston train, 600m from Glenhuntly Station
or # 67 tram from University, 310m walk from Glenhuntly Rd.

Sellers are HTPAA members only and members of the public are welcome.
Entry is $5 per person.

COVID-19 rules as applicable at the time will apply.

 

Nunawading Library displaySince 2014 the HTPAA has provided a public display at the City of Whitehorse – Nunawading Branch Library.

The Library offer up to four display cabinets, available for 1 month to display club and association exhibits. These displays are always well received by the public as they enter the library.

HTPAA's past displays have included:

  • Tools made by Turner Manufacturing Co. (where they were made just across the other side of Whitehorse Road from the library.)
  • Items from Daniel Harvey the farm implement manufacturer and supplier to the orchard industry and manufactured nearby in Box Hill.
  • Examples of The Caine Tool Collection from The National Trust Victoria, a collection the HTPAA curates and records.
  • History of Multigrips, Point Setters, Retractable Tape Measures amongst others.

During 2018 HTPAA's displays are featuring Ice Cream Scoops, Wad Punches and miscellaneous carpenter tools.

All tools come from the personal collections of members of HTPAA or from the Association’s various collections. The 2018 display included tools from the personal collections of Graeme Plaw and Warren Hewertson.

The display is open daily during Library hours until the end of July 2018.

As wel as displays presented by the HTPAA as a group, a number of members take the opportunity to display tools from their personal collections as a way of giving the public an opportunity to see a range of hand tools and gain a better understanding of those who used them and how they were used.  Treveor Semmens, an HTPAAA member from Tasmania is a very good example of the individuals who take the time to present a personal display drawn from thier collection. In Trevor's case, this is particularly valuable because it allows members of the public who generally aren't able to visit a regular HTPSS display event, to see a sellection of traditional tools.

Treveor Semmons Rosny Library 1

Trevor Semmens is a self-described Rhykenologist - one who collects and studies woodworking planes and has an excellent collection. As part of his collecting Trevor likes to share small amounts of his collection with the public from time to time. So, since 1990 he has had a number of small displays. All have been for free as the venues he has used have been only too happy to have someone use their spaces.

The first display was in the foyer of the main Hobart Library in 1990.

This was followed by displays at Forestry Tasmania's headquarters in 1998 and 2003.

Since then he has been mainly using his local library where he has had displays in 2002, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015 and currently in 2018. He finds they are really good venues for the display and the tools are held safely in locked viewing areas.

In Tasmania now the local libraries are much more than libraries. They are the venues for a number of other groups of people using the centres. For example, School for Seniors, U3A, Aging Group, young family activities and various meeting rooms used by various other 'hirers'. As a result, a lot of traffic goes thru these libraries. At times Trevor sits near the display so that he has the opportunity to talk to people and he usually have a few extra items with him to show up close and tell people about them. It then becomes an interesting and sharing time, with many comments of amazement at the range of tools, their history and craftsmen used these tools.

Treveor Semmons Rosny Library 4

Ken Hawley was a remarkable tool collector who assembled an impressive tool collection, the Hawley Collection. As stated on the web site created for the Hawley Tool Collection, http://www.hawleytoolcollection.com/, Ken Hawley "collected the tools, the 'tools that made the tools', catalogues, photographs and information connected with the Sheffield tool, cutlery and silversmithing industries". The Hawley Collection comprises over 100,000 items and is now presented in a manner that showcases not only the tools themselves but also how they were made.

During his working life, including thirty years selling tools in his own shop in Sheffield, he acquired an unrivalled knowledge about Sheffield's industrial heritage. It was Ken Hawley's wish that the Hawley Collection stay in Sheffield to provide exhibitions, displays and information for the people of Sheffield and visitors to the city. He saw the Collection as a tribute to the craftsmanship, skills and excellence displayed over the centuries by Sheffield firms and workpeople. The Collection is now housed at Kelham Island Museum in Sheffield, England.

Fortunately, before his death in 2010, Ken Hawley featured in a series on videos explaining aspects of both tools and his own life. The various videos capture the passion Ken Hawley had for tools , their manufacture and use so take the time to watch. We have incorporated the videos here for your convenience but we recommend you visit the Hawley Tool Collection web site for more information, particularly if you have the opportunity to visit.

 

Ken Hawley Tool Collector

Ken Hawley Tool Collection

 

 

Ken Hawley Heritage

Ken on Making Files by Hand

 

 

Ken on File Making and How Children Used to Help

Ken on Why Files Aren't Used Anymore

 

 

Ken Hawley Complete Part 1

Ken Hawley Complete Part 2

 

 

Ken Hawley Complete Part 3

Ken Hawley Complete Part 4

 

Kelham Island Industrial Museum Sheffield

 

This article appeared in the May 2007 (#84) issue of the Tool Chest

Re-published here with permission.




Next Antique & Collectable Hand Tool Market

The next Antique & Collectable Hand Tool Market is on Sunday 29th Oct 2023 9.00 am to 12.30 pm at St. Anthony's School Hall, 164 Neerim Rd, Corner Neerim & Grange Rds, Caulfield East, Melway Ref. 68 F4. For more information see the Tool Market page.