Wood type began to be used commercially in 1827 when Darius Wells invented a way to produce it on an industrial scale See more about The Americans, In America and Dairy. In 1827 Darius Wells (1800-1875) invented a special wood drill, the lateral router, capable of cutting letters on type-high end-cut wood blocks See more about Wood Blocks, Letters and Woods. I posted some photos and info about this type the first time I was at Hamilton, but couldn’t resist sharing more. Original Darius Wells type.