<p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>WHAT IS A TOOL?</strong></p><p class="ql-align-justify">A tool is an external device or an object that gives an additional advantage to the ability of any organism to manipulate its immediate environment. It will not form part of the living body.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines Tool as, “an instrument for making material changes on other objects, as by cutting, shearing, striking, rubbing, grinding, squeezing, measuring, or other processes. Tools are the primary means by which human beings’ control and manipulate their physical environment.” Thus, tools are devices that add value to objects in our lives.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>HAND-TOOLS</strong></p><p class="ql-align-justify"> 	A Hand tool is a device that is manual in character and is operated using the strength of the individual, usually the Hands. Tools in general and <a href="https://samsindusneeds.com/shop?limit=12&amp;category=hand-tool" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hand tools</a> in particular, tell us a lot about the development of societies. Anthropologists see hand-tools - be it the Stone-Axe, Brass Cutter, Carbon-steel Poker, or <a href="https://samsindusneeds.com/shop?limit=12&amp;category=hand-tool&amp;sub_category=hammer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rubber Hammer</a>; as a way of understanding Humanity.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify">Although, many animals use simple tools – like Crows and Monkeys; only Humans have used different materials to make different tools that will not only ease his work-in-hand, but also use easily available source of energy to power them. Man developed varied kinds of tools harnessing the energy sources – Muscular Human energy, Animal power; Wind, Solar and Water energy; Machine or Power Tools, Steam power etc. This ability to take advantage of different sources of power, allowed humans to design complex tools to manufacture items varying in scope and numbers. It also his reduced the dependence on additional labour and reduced cost.</p><p>
</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>THE STONE AGE</strong></p><p>
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Social Scientists have classified different period of human evolution depending upon the material used to create the tools. The earliest identifiable hand-tool dating back to nearly 2.6 million years was the Hand-Axe, discovered in Ethiopia. It was a Stone-Axe. However, the fact remains that Humans have been using tools made of every available natural resource - like Stones and Wood, to aid their day-to-day activities as a Hunter-Gatherer.</p><p>
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The growth of Agriculture gave impetus to the development of hand-tools. While, a Hunter-gatherer used to employ only a limited number of hand-tools, the settled life of an Agriculturist required multiple types of tools – Grip-pliers for kitchen, Pick-Axe for farming etc. As man started to organise into social groups and lead a settled life, he must have started to explore ways and means to make his life comfortable. That inclination to experiment, test and develop must have led to the evolution of simple hand-tools from hand-held Weapons - from War-Axe, Spears and Swords to Hatchets, Chisels and Hammers. It is a fact that tools have ancestors, just like Man. Like everything else, tools have changed as mankind made progress. The tools of today have not always been so fine. It had taken centuries of thoughtful process to make them what they are today. Old Pliers and Hammers have given shape to newer designs, and every new material discovered been used to refine them further. For example, depending upon the type of screw-<a href="https://samsindusneeds.com/shop?limit=12&amp;category=fastener" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fastener</a>, we have the Trox, Phillips, Flat <a href="https://samsindusneeds.com/shop?limit=12&amp;category=hand-tool&amp;sub_category=screw-driver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">screw driver</a>.</p><p>
</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>AGE OF THE METALS</strong>
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The discovery of metals was the next phase, but a simultaneous one with development of settled life, in the story of tools. The pre-historic man used Gold, Silver, Lead, Tin, Iron and Copper to make things for his daily life – Hand-tools, Jewellery-tools, Craftsman’s Tool, Decorative tools etc. Around 4000-5000 years, man learned the art of extracting metals and also mixing them to get an alloy, for various uses.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify">The Copper age can be dated as the period between 5000 BC-3500 BC. A Copper jewellery piece discovered in Northern Iraq has been dated to 8700 B.C., nearly 10,000 years old.&nbsp;Copper is considered to be the second metal, after Gold, that humans learned to shape and use due to its easy availability and mining. The metal is very malleable to be beaten into shape and had durable edges compared to Stone. Most of the hand-tools of this period were replacement of Stone tools. The Copper-age was basically a cross-over period between the Stone-age and Metal-age.
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The Bronze age is placed between 3500-1200 BC era by historians. The properties of the metal used to make the tools varied. The early metals – Gold, Silver, Lead, Tin, Copper were very malleable, individually. They lacked strength too. These properties did not allow Man to fashion tools that needed great strength on their side - for weapons, kitchen-work, farming, carpentry, etc. The scientific temper of man prompted him to mix metals. Copper was alloyed firstly with Arsenic and then with Tin leading to the discovery of Bronze. Around 3500 BC, the people of Sumer who lived in Southern Mesopotamia, started to use Bronze. Bronze was stronger than either Copper and Tin. The discovery of Brass, an alloy of Copper and Zinc, also developed during this period</p><p>
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The discovery of Iron was the most significant phase of development and evolution in three-age period of pre-history and proto-history of humans. Iron was easier to work with than Bronze, but had more strength. The shortage of Tin must have also speeded up the coming of Iron-age. The replacement of bronze tools and weapons with iron equivalent, happened at different periods of time in different regions of the World. Thus, in Middle East region the time frame for Iron-age starts from 12<sup>th</sup> Century BC era; Northern Europe saw the common use of iron hand-tools and weapons only in 500 BC era. But the Discovery of the World and the Age of Empires galloped on the strength of Iron. The end of Iron age is generally considered to coincide with the rise of the Roman Empire.</p><p>
</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>THE ANTIQUITY AND MIDDLE AGES</strong></p><p>
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</p><p class="ql-align-justify">The Classical period or Antiquity was the age of finesse. Classical cultures of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Asia Minor, India, China were actively developing new hand-tools to serve their craftmanship needs. While weapons did form the major part in these developments, the growth of trade and commerce led to development of major work-tools. Some of the most beautiful works in Stone, Metal and Wood were crafted in this period.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify">The major material used during this period for making tools and weapons was the Iron, but with addition of carbon. The addition of carbon gave strength to iron. The Iron-smiths of South India created Wootz Steel, a pioneering steel-alloy development, around mid-1<sup>st</sup> Century BCE. The traders of Arab nation took it further to the European nations where it got famous by the name of Damascus Steel. It was in the Middle Ages that the Wooden handle and sharp iron blade of the Axe and Saw were perfected. The crude medieval version of the Auger made was developed into the Power Drill.</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION</strong></p><p class="ql-align-justify">The age of Industry evolved to harness the power of machines and inanimate sources. The most unique aspect of the Industrial revolution was the marriage of Technology with Industry. The significant impact of the rise of industries was faster production; and lowering of cost and labour. Industries could mass produce a product based on division of labour concept. The basis for development of Power tools like Drill-machines; and Precision tools like Vernier Calliper; was the need for increased accuracy of the hand-tools performance. Key inventions and innovations served to shape virtually every field of human endeavour, while creating newer fields of work.</p><p>
</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><strong>AGE OF COMPUTERS</strong></p><p>    <img src="https://samsindusneeds.com/public/blog_image/blg-2-8.png">
</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Today, the world is in the midst of Computer machine age. The use of computers has affected not only the way goods are manufactured, but have spilled over to Service Products and a whole set of human activities. This has led to the development of a range of hand-tools. The tools have become finer to do more precision work. We have the Precision Screw-drivers to work on very small parts of machines and also Electronic Amp-meter to make accurate readings. So, the future will see a host of new hand-tools, but at the same time the older generation of hand-tools will evolve again and again.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">In summary, we can safely assume, the evolution of tools will keep on happening as Man evolves as an answer to his varied needs. The next part, I will take you down through the history of some of the basis hand-tools – The Hammer, Plier, Spanner, Screw-driver, etc.</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Thank You,</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Composed By: N. P. Bilash</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Dated:29<sup>th</sup> January 2022</p><p class="ql-align-justify">&nbsp;</p><p class="ql-align-justify">Information Credits: Internet</p><p class="ql-align-justify"><br></p>