Writing in The Times, Huon Mallalieu encapsulated the function of the book: "Over the past 35 years [David Russell] has amassed probably the world’s largest collection of antique woodworking tools from the Stone Age to the 20th century ...

A short chapter focuses on spurious and altered items, drawing the reader's attention to some of the pitfalls of collecting vintage tools.

[4] Carl Duguay, writing in Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement, declared that the book was "Lavish, stunning, outstanding, magnificent ... superlatives just don't do justice to [it].

"David Russell’s book is a vehicle for sharing his fabulous collection with the world," enthused John Wells in the Chronicle, the journal of the Early American Industries Association.

[7] Focusing on the illustrations, Mark Bridge commented in Antiques Trade Gazette on how James Austin, the book's photographer, had "managed to capture the elusive qualities of balance, texture and patina which make the finest tools a pleasure to handle, frequently lifting them into the realm of folk art".