In early use, Any implement with a sharp cutting edge, as a knife or sword; now (in lit. sense) restricted to industrial tools, and technically denoting chiefly chisels, gouges, planes, etc., also (with defining adj. heavy) axes, hatchets, etc. Also attrib. (The form edged tools is now used only in fig. sense.)
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3755. And ȝif any egge tol wol entre in-to his bodi I wol do him to þe deth.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, II. v. (1554), 47 b/1. Leuer I haue, with some edge tole Too slea my selfe, than liue in slaundre and dole.
1548. Act 2 & 3 Edw. VI., xxvii. The greatest part of edged Tools, Weapons, and other necessary things having Edges.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 167. An Edge-Tool … will … cut off all the parts.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (ed. 3), II. 102. Nor had they any edg’d Tool or Weapon among them.
1723. Lond. Gaz., No. 6175/6. Robert Wilkins … Edge Tool maker.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., vi. § 8. Edged tools are in general designed to cut.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, App. 771. To make Edge-tools with cast Steel and Iron.
1886. Daily News, 18 Oct., 5/5. The saw and edge-tool houses are doing moderately well.
b. 2. fig. and in proverbial use. esp. in phrase play or jest with edge tools.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 57. Some say that it is not good iesting with edge toles.
1622. Massinger, etc. Old Law, V. i. If you move the duke’s patience, ’tis an edge-tool.
1767. Wesley, Jrnl., 4 May. They find it is playing with edged tools.
1798. Hutton, Autobiogr., 27. The man who plays with edge-tools, may, by chance, cut his fingers.
1815. Scott, Guy M., v. I begin to think … I have been rather jesting with edge-tools.
1866. Mill, in Edin. Rev., CXXIII. 337. He came to think that the Sokratic cross-examination is a dangerous edge-tool.
