This is a tough one. A chicken and the egg scenario. We have physical/tangible tools… saws, pencils, computers, measuring tapes, scalpels, etc. Tools are designed to be an extension of us, to empower us to be able to do something that our human bodies cannot do efficiently…
Tools enable verbs! The thing is that there is a selection of tools to do the same thing. Take for example the idea of cutting. Well the tools that cut range from a laser, scalpel, xacto knife, saw, knife, band saw, table saw, chain saw.
The key to understanding and learning tool sets is to focus on the context of what you are working on. The context is all of the things that you need experience to understand. What are you cutting? How accurate do you need to be? What is the material dimension? What shape(s) is your completed work? How much material do you need to remove?
Understanding tool sets starts with the questioning of artifacts (both analog and digital) and asking the question of “How did they do that?”
With experience these questions are answered in the blink of an eye and taking action becomes immediate. Without experience it binds up the person making, it creates roadblocks and paralysis. Without the proper tools a project may never reach completion to a degree of envisioned quality.