Throughout time, man has measured with his body, his belt, and even the arm of a king! From the cubit of biblical times that helped measure Noah's ark to the 19th century wantage rule that helped detect fraud, the ruler has been an essential tool in any toolbox. We trace the long history of the ruler, from the strings used to measure the blocks of pyramids to today's handy tape measures. And we visit the Stanley works to see how modern tape measures are made and find out just why they are always yellow.

The key to winning a NASCAR race is a lightning-fast pit stop. And for that, hi-tech mechanic tools are crucial: the hydraulic jack, impact wrench, and a good set of socket wrenches. We'll clock the evolution of these tools and more, and reveal the secret weapons of racing, including 1,000-piece socket sets, sawzalls that can rip apart metal, and a special tape that can hold body parts on a racecar at 200 mph!

The drill is the most popular portable power tool sold today. But long before electricity, man found efficient ways to make holes. Ancient Egyptians made great progress, designing the first mechanical hand drill. In the ensuing millenniums, breakthroughs came with invention of the auger, brace, and gear drill, and finally, the power drill in 1895. We head to the Milwaukee Tools factory to see how modern drills are made, and check out the latest innovations--from woodshop to robotics lab.

Whether felling trees, trimming pipes, or shortening a 2x4, the handsaw has been in use since nearly the dawn of civilization. With a design dating back 4,500 years to copper-cutting tools, the handsaw has hewn a path through time. After reviewing its history--including ancient Egyptian bronze handsaws to steel-cutting gadgets found in every toolbox--we watch a sheet of flat steel be notched, set, and ground into a precise blade at Great Neck Tool Company, and review the latest cutting technologies.

The wrench has come a long way from origin as a specialized tool, like the ones used by colonial Americans to tighten wagon wheels, to current status as a mandatory member in every toolbox. Principally spurred by the Industrial Revolution, suddenly factories, saw mills, and even locomotives required more and more wrenches to adjust the thousands of nuts and bolts that held them together. At the Ridge Tool factory we check out the manufacturing process of a pipe wrench, and examine wrench innovations.

From the ancient Egyptians, who used an abrasive paste to polish stone, to the first portable belt sander introduced in 1926, we follow the story of the ultimate smooth operator--the sander. And we visit a modern sandpaper factory, where glue and gravity have been replaced by phenolic resin and electrostatic bonding. Plus, we follow the journey of one sander that goes where no man has gone before! Find out what NASA's RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool) uncovered on Mars recently.

One of the most vital tools of the modern age, the screwdriver has taken many turns in its 500-year history! We look at how the screwdriver evolved from a rare and specialized tool used in making armor and muskets to a modern tool with hundreds of variations. At the Stanley plant in South Carolina, we watch screwdrivers being forged from raw steel and unprocessed plastic pellets, and we learn how the latest screwdrivers continue to make the simple act of turning a screw ever easier.

The "King of Tools" dates back to prehistoric times, when our ancestors used hammer stones for digging holes and shelling nuts. With the invention of nails around 500 BC, the hammer took on its modern application. Alternative uses for the hammer emerged as well--as a battle weapon and throwing them as an Olympic sport! We visit Estwing Hammers, where they make 40,000 hammers per year, and look at innovative new hammers--from the Antivibe hammer to hammering machines used in construction.

Ever since man first understood fire, he's tried to harness its power into tools designed to melt, weld, and forge metals and other materials. Ancient Egyptians blew through reeds into crude furnaces to achieve temperatures hot enough to melt gold. Colonial American silversmiths used a blowtorch powered by alcohol. By 1910, over 100 companies were producing gasoline torches under the names Vesuvius, Red Dragon, Meteor, Hercules, Hotblast, or Vulcan. When propane began replacing the volatile gasoline in 1925, the device had finally become a reliable, safe, and portable heating tool. Viewers visit Bernzomatic, where the T7000 Instant-On Torch is manufactured at a rate of one torch per six seconds, and Startech Environmental Group, whose supertorch recreates conditions found only at Earth's core.

Considered the toolbox trophy, the plane has been paramount in creating man's greatest woodworking achievements. From Viking ships to Louis XIV furniture, no tool has proved more versatile or coveted. In 2002, an antique Israel White wood-plow plane sold for a record $31,900 at auction! We'll visit Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine, where some of today's best planes are made, and examine the A95 mill planer, which smoothes raw lumber at the incredible rate of 2,000 feet per minute.

Invented specifically for the logging industry, the chainsaw began life as a half-ton behemoth in 1905, was refined to a portable 2-man tool in 1929, and finally became a single-user powerhouse in the 1950s. We visit a modern chainsaw factory, where today's technologically advanced machines are manufactured on massive scale. And we look to the future of the chainsaw--the Timco 820, which can harvest seven acres of trees in a single day.

Two-million years ago, Homo erectus first shaped hard rock with a hammerstone to create sharp-edged tools. We follow the story of the axe from that point forward, tracing its journey as both deadly weapon and lifesaving tool. Then, we see how colonial blacksmiths made axes, and pay a visit to Snow & Nealley in Bangor, Maine, manufacturers of quality axes since 1864. Plus, we look at specialized axes through the years, from a 17th-century Persian parade axe to the firefighter's pickhead axe.

Ride along as we explore cars built to keep their owners from getting clipped!

These are motorcycles for the hardcore biker. Bikers who join clubs or gangs want the best, fastest, or nastiest of the breed. These are their bikes of choice. From the rare to the nitrous enhanced, we'll take you on a ride packed with pure adrenaline.

Throughout time, man has measured with his body, his belt, and even the arm of a king! From the cubit of biblical times that helped measure Noah's ark to the 19th century wantage rule that helped detect fraud, the ruler has been an essential tool in any toolbox. We trace the long history of the ruler, from the strings used to measure the blocks of pyramids to today's handy tape measures. And we visit the Stanley works to see how modern tape measures are made and find out just why they are always yellow.

The key to winning a NASCAR race is a lightning-fast pit stop. And for that, hi-tech mechanic tools are crucial: the hydraulic jack, impact wrench, and a good set of socket wrenches. We'll clock the evolution of these tools and more, and reveal the secret weapons of racing, including 1,000-piece socket sets, sawzalls that can rip apart metal, and a special tape that can hold body parts on a racecar at 200 mph!

The drill is the most popular portable power tool sold today. But long before electricity, man found efficient ways to make holes. Ancient Egyptians made great progress, designing the first mechanical hand drill. In the ensuing millenniums, breakthroughs came with invention of the auger, brace, and gear drill, and finally, the power drill in 1895. We head to the Milwaukee Tools factory to see how modern drills are made, and check out the latest innovations--from woodshop to robotics lab.

Whether felling trees, trimming pipes, or shortening a 2x4, the handsaw has been in use since nearly the dawn of civilization. With a design dating back 4,500 years to copper-cutting tools, the handsaw has hewn a path through time. After reviewing its history--including ancient Egyptian bronze handsaws to steel-cutting gadgets found in every toolbox--we watch a sheet of flat steel be notched, set, and ground into a precise blade at Great Neck Tool Company, and review the latest cutting technologies.

The wrench has come a long way from origin as a specialized tool, like the ones used by colonial Americans to tighten wagon wheels, to current status as a mandatory member in every toolbox. Principally spurred by the Industrial Revolution, suddenly factories, saw mills, and even locomotives required more and more wrenches to adjust the thousands of nuts and bolts that held them together. At the Ridge Tool factory we check out the manufacturing process of a pipe wrench, and examine wrench innovations.

From the ancient Egyptians, who used an abrasive paste to polish stone, to the first portable belt sander introduced in 1926, we follow the story of the ultimate smooth operator--the sander. And we visit a modern sandpaper factory, where glue and gravity have been replaced by phenolic resin and electrostatic bonding. Plus, we follow the journey of one sander that goes where no man has gone before! Find out what NASA's RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool) uncovered on Mars recently.

One of the most vital tools of the modern age, the screwdriver has taken many turns in its 500-year history! We look at how the screwdriver evolved from a rare and specialized tool used in making armor and muskets to a modern tool with hundreds of variations. At the Stanley plant in South Carolina, we watch screwdrivers being forged from raw steel and unprocessed plastic pellets, and we learn how the latest screwdrivers continue to make the simple act of turning a screw ever easier.

The "King of Tools" dates back to prehistoric times, when our ancestors used hammer stones for digging holes and shelling nuts. With the invention of nails around 500 BC, the hammer took on its modern application. Alternative uses for the hammer emerged as well--as a battle weapon and throwing them as an Olympic sport! We visit Estwing Hammers, where they make 40,000 hammers per year, and look at innovative new hammers--from the Antivibe hammer to hammering machines used in construction.

Ever since man first understood fire, he's tried to harness its power into tools designed to melt, weld, and forge metals and other materials. Ancient Egyptians blew through reeds into crude furnaces to achieve temperatures hot enough to melt gold. Colonial American silversmiths used a blowtorch powered by alcohol. By 1910, over 100 companies were producing gasoline torches under the names Vesuvius, Red Dragon, Meteor, Hercules, Hotblast, or Vulcan. When propane began replacing the volatile gasoline in 1925, the device had finally become a reliable, safe, and portable heating tool. Viewers visit Bernzomatic, where the T7000 Instant-On Torch is manufactured at a rate of one torch per six seconds, and Startech Environmental Group, whose supertorch recreates conditions found only at Earth's core.

Considered the toolbox trophy, the plane has been paramount in creating man's greatest woodworking achievements. From Viking ships to Louis XIV furniture, no tool has proved more versatile or coveted. In 2002, an antique Israel White wood-plow plane sold for a record $31,900 at auction! We'll visit Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine, where some of today's best planes are made, and examine the A95 mill planer, which smoothes raw lumber at the incredible rate of 2,000 feet per minute.

Invented specifically for the logging industry, the chainsaw began life as a half-ton behemoth in 1905, was refined to a portable 2-man tool in 1929, and finally became a single-user powerhouse in the 1950s. We visit a modern chainsaw factory, where today's technologically advanced machines are manufactured on massive scale. And we look to the future of the chainsaw--the Timco 820, which can harvest seven acres of trees in a single day.

Two-million years ago, Homo erectus first shaped hard rock with a hammerstone to create sharp-edged tools. We follow the story of the axe from that point forward, tracing its journey as both deadly weapon and lifesaving tool. Then, we see how colonial blacksmiths made axes, and pay a visit to Snow & Nealley in Bangor, Maine, manufacturers of quality axes since 1864. Plus, we look at specialized axes through the years, from a 17th-century Persian parade axe to the firefighter's pickhead axe.

Ride along as we explore cars built to keep their owners from getting clipped!

These are motorcycles for the hardcore biker. Bikers who join clubs or gangs want the best, fastest, or nastiest of the breed. These are their bikes of choice. From the rare to the nitrous enhanced, we'll take you on a ride packed with pure adrenaline.

Throughout time, man has measured with his body, his belt, and even the arm of a king! From the cubit of biblical times that helped measure Noah's ark to the 19th century wantage rule that helped detect fraud, the ruler has been an essential tool in any toolbox. We trace the long history of the ruler, from the strings used to measure the blocks of pyramids to today's handy tape measures. And we visit the Stanley works to see how modern tape measures are made and find out just why they are always yellow.

The key to winning a NASCAR race is a lightning-fast pit stop. And for that, hi-tech mechanic tools are crucial: the hydraulic jack, impact wrench, and a good set of socket wrenches. We'll clock the evolution of these tools and more, and reveal the secret weapons of racing, including 1,000-piece socket sets, sawzalls that can rip apart metal, and a special tape that can hold body parts on a racecar at 200 mph!

The drill is the most popular portable power tool sold today. But long before electricity, man found efficient ways to make holes. Ancient Egyptians made great progress, designing the first mechanical hand drill. In the ensuing millenniums, breakthroughs came with invention of the auger, brace, and gear drill, and finally, the power drill in 1895. We head to the Milwaukee Tools factory to see how modern drills are made, and check out the latest innovations--from woodshop to robotics lab.

Whether felling trees, trimming pipes, or shortening a 2x4, the handsaw has been in use since nearly the dawn of civilization. With a design dating back 4,500 years to copper-cutting tools, the handsaw has hewn a path through time. After reviewing its history--including ancient Egyptian bronze handsaws to steel-cutting gadgets found in every toolbox--we watch a sheet of flat steel be notched, set, and ground into a precise blade at Great Neck Tool Company, and review the latest cutting technologies.

The wrench has come a long way from origin as a specialized tool, like the ones used by colonial Americans to tighten wagon wheels, to current status as a mandatory member in every toolbox. Principally spurred by the Industrial Revolution, suddenly factories, saw mills, and even locomotives required more and more wrenches to adjust the thousands of nuts and bolts that held them together. At the Ridge Tool factory we check out the manufacturing process of a pipe wrench, and examine wrench innovations.

From the ancient Egyptians, who used an abrasive paste to polish stone, to the first portable belt sander introduced in 1926, we follow the story of the ultimate smooth operator--the sander. And we visit a modern sandpaper factory, where glue and gravity have been replaced by phenolic resin and electrostatic bonding. Plus, we follow the journey of one sander that goes where no man has gone before! Find out what NASA's RAT (Rock Abrasion Tool) uncovered on Mars recently.

One of the most vital tools of the modern age, the screwdriver has taken many turns in its 500-year history! We look at how the screwdriver evolved from a rare and specialized tool used in making armor and muskets to a modern tool with hundreds of variations. At the Stanley plant in South Carolina, we watch screwdrivers being forged from raw steel and unprocessed plastic pellets, and we learn how the latest screwdrivers continue to make the simple act of turning a screw ever easier.

The "King of Tools" dates back to prehistoric times, when our ancestors used hammer stones for digging holes and shelling nuts. With the invention of nails around 500 BC, the hammer took on its modern application. Alternative uses for the hammer emerged as well--as a battle weapon and throwing them as an Olympic sport! We visit Estwing Hammers, where they make 40,000 hammers per year, and look at innovative new hammers--from the Antivibe hammer to hammering machines used in construction.

Ever since man first understood fire, he's tried to harness its power into tools designed to melt, weld, and forge metals and other materials. Ancient Egyptians blew through reeds into crude furnaces to achieve temperatures hot enough to melt gold. Colonial American silversmiths used a blowtorch powered by alcohol. By 1910, over 100 companies were producing gasoline torches under the names Vesuvius, Red Dragon, Meteor, Hercules, Hotblast, or Vulcan. When propane began replacing the volatile gasoline in 1925, the device had finally become a reliable, safe, and portable heating tool. Viewers visit Bernzomatic, where the T7000 Instant-On Torch is manufactured at a rate of one torch per six seconds, and Startech Environmental Group, whose supertorch recreates conditions found only at Earth's core.

Considered the toolbox trophy, the plane has been paramount in creating man's greatest woodworking achievements. From Viking ships to Louis XIV furniture, no tool has proved more versatile or coveted. In 2002, an antique Israel White wood-plow plane sold for a record $31,900 at auction! We'll visit Lie-Nielsen Toolworks in Warren, Maine, where some of today's best planes are made, and examine the A95 mill planer, which smoothes raw lumber at the incredible rate of 2,000 feet per minute.

Invented specifically for the logging industry, the chainsaw began life as a half-ton behemoth in 1905, was refined to a portable 2-man tool in 1929, and finally became a single-user powerhouse in the 1950s. We visit a modern chainsaw factory, where today's technologically advanced machines are manufactured on massive scale. And we look to the future of the chainsaw--the Timco 820, which can harvest seven acres of trees in a single day.

Two-million years ago, Homo erectus first shaped hard rock with a hammerstone to create sharp-edged tools. We follow the story of the axe from that point forward, tracing its journey as both deadly weapon and lifesaving tool. Then, we see how colonial blacksmiths made axes, and pay a visit to Snow & Nealley in Bangor, Maine, manufacturers of quality axes since 1864. Plus, we look at specialized axes through the years, from a 17th-century Persian parade axe to the firefighter's pickhead axe.

Ride along as we explore cars built to keep their owners from getting clipped!

These are motorcycles for the hardcore biker. Bikers who join clubs or gangs want the best, fastest, or nastiest of the breed. These are their bikes of choice. From the rare to the nitrous enhanced, we'll take you on a ride packed with pure adrenaline.