Trading tools and stories at the Antique Tool Show and Sale
By Jennifer Kneuss
May 16, 2011
840
Dan Miller, who hails from northwest of Ravenna, has been collecting tools for as long as he can recall.
Tools hold a fascination for me because they are useful, said the 71-year-old tool enthusiast. They helped build America.
Miller was one of 59 members of the Ohio Tool Collectors Association who met within the walls of the Zoar Fire Station May 15 for an Antique Tool Show and Sale. The group meets at least four times a year to buy and sell tools collected by members, and finds Zoar to be one of their favorite gathering places due to the villages history of producing many interesting tools during the time of the Separatists. This is the fourth year they have met in the village.
Miller took his time in identifying which of the tools in his collection he would categorize as being unique. Finally he settled on a strange looking item that resembled one half of a small mariners compass.
This tool is called a goniostat, he said. It can be adjusted to different angles. It was made by Holtzapffel, who was English and made ornamental turning lathes. This device was used to sharpen the ornamental chisels. There are protractors in two directions. The goniostat can be adjusted to the exact profile desired, and they are not very common. They were made in the 19th century or earlier.
Paul Boldt was engrossed in one of many tool magazines stacked on the table before him. His wife, Donna, was at his side, also leafing through written tool guides.
I usually come to these with Paul, said Donna, and admitted that, in the process, she has become somewhat of a tool expert and enthusiast herself. The Canton area couple hosted the Zoar Village show. Our youngest members are probably around 35 years old, and the oldest are probably around 85. Donna stated that the purpose of the group is to educate people.
We are partial to these older tool and other magazines, she noted. There is a lot of history represented here. Paul answers a lot of questions about the purposes of old-time tools from others who are interested and ask questions in national newspapers or magazines.
Donna Boldt admitted that most of the women who attend the tool shows enjoy getting together separately from the men.
We have our own programs every time, she said. This morning our topic was baskets. I enjoy doing programs on historical costuming myself. Our members come from all over Ohio.
We have some members from Pennsylvania and other neighboring states, too, added Mark Eastlick, who identified himself as being from Cambridge Springs, Pa.
Dan Miller was not able to point out his favorite tool in his collection.
I would have to say all of them, he answered with a chuckle. I am an eclectic collector.
Miller noted that the meetings are about much more than adding tools to a collection.
More than buying and trading, at these things we do a lot of just talking to each other about the most recent things we have found, admitted Miller. We trade stories.
