Mechanic’s Companion Peter Nicholson
At least for hand tool woodwork where the focus is using hand tools for everything where possible, not just to trim work before sanding.
These texts have better advice for working by hand than anything written or blogged about by gurus in the last 125 years. I can say with confidence that probably the last tool made that has value for productivity is the Stanley Bailey bench plane, especially if not had for any other reason, for smoothing after wooden planes have completed everything else.
Other than that, Chisels are not improved (they’re worse), Saws hit their golden age in the late 1800s as far as consistency, but joinery saws were mature before then and haven’t gotten any better. And, so on – I can’t think of anything developed during mass production that actually improves the work rate of someone working by hand.
Thus, these texts are provided because they have valuable information that will get you working and using the same methods indefinitely, avoiding the merry go round of buying tools, jigs and so on.
Of Making by Hand with Wood and Steel 