I haven't finished the article yet, but I'm really enjoying a piece in
the Jan. 2005 issue of Harper's called "Romance of the Rust: Nostalgia,
Progress, and the Meaning of Tools". It's about the hobby of tool
collecting but also interesting background on the industrial history of
the U.S. If you're a galoot (he uses the term in the article to
describe aficiondos of "tail-less" tools) you'll enjoy this article.
Ian