the quality and the number of different kinds of had wood working tools has declined a great deal in the last 100 year back in 1880 for example there were doz's of different engraving tool manf. co.s now i think we are down to 2. some of the engraving tools no longer are produced at all. for example a ruling machine. the same thing applies to other types of wood working tools not just in the printing area.

the only new kind of engraving tool that was invented was the multi line tool and it was invented to rework photo etched plates. it just happens that the tool also works for wood engraving. remember all the different electric tools we have today had there hand powered versions a 100 years earlier and many of them now adays can only be found in antique stores and sometimes we have to take a guess what they were used for. they just took for granted that we would know what they were used for so like many moundain things they weren't written or illustrated

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  John P Center one example i used to own was a chissel that had a backwards cut 'u' that when used left a positive 'u' shape as opposed to the normal 'u' you would get. then there were planes that had custom shapes that were used to make mouldings things we buy at the lumber yard or make with a router. they had all of these things in quebec and the american coloneies back in 1700 you can be sure they had a lot more in the old countries back in 1500.