Handle Design of Woodworking Tools: Preferences and Recommendations ofCraftsmen and Design Students

Abstract

23 popular woodworking tool handle designs were collected to de-velop a reference visual catalogue. Survey data was collected from 19 male craftsmen (11 carvers, 8 carpenters) regarding theirmost frequently used tools along with recommendations on handle designs suitable for these tools. Opin-ions were also collected regarding the most “liked” and “disliked” handle de-signs on the catalogue. Subjective preferences and recommendations of handle designs for the most frequently used tools were also collected from a group of 58 undergraduate students of Design (41 male, 17 female). Participant responses revealed that wood carvers most "liked” an ivory-colored, Japanese style, circular cross-section,regular-sized handle with a hooped top. Carpenters most "liked" a wenge-colored, rectangular-sectioned bulky handle with a hooped top. Male Design students most "liked" a golden-honey colored, London pattern handle with an octagonal central section and domed wooden top. Female De-sign students most "liked" a beech-colored, bulky pear shaped round handle with a hooped top. Overall, 12 different tools which included different sizes of u-gouges, v-parting tools, fishtail-chisels, firmer-chisels, mortise-chisels and an indenting tool were found to be the most frequently used implements by the craftsmen. On an aggregate for these 12 tools, an espresso-colored, bulky pear shaped round handle with a hooped top was found to be the most recommended handle and a bubinga-colored elongated pattern maker type handle was the least recommended handle. Results from this paper should help researchers and manufacturers gain qualitative insights into subjective preferences and biases that may exist for and against certain handled esign features in the context of woodworking tool research and development.