Comments on: Feed back from various continents

By: J Guengerich

J Guengerich — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Very good point Paul.
I recognize and follow your advice for ebay purchases… I’ve bought so many #4s that I am going to fix them up and see if the local school would take a few as a gift to the wood shop and for some of my family and neighbors that like to work wood.
For items like planes, spokeshaves, drawknives, etc…ebay is still the best place that I know of to find affordable vintage tools that perform as well as new tools costing many times their price.
BTW, everyone can relax… I’ve stopped buying planes.
Maybe a new handplane magazine for other countries could research outlets for their culture’s tools? Local markets, and maybe find unknown or start-up online places where tools can be found or traded for?
I think we could continue to help each other out.

By: Paul Sellers

Paul Sellers — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 07:55:00 +0000

I think that that’s a good thought. I hope everyone understands that I simply don’t want people not to work wood because they are hindered by costs and that all that was once good from European makers is not necessarily the case today. Many as I have said try living off their father’s reputation and they are doing nothing more than using Sheffield and England as validation for what is being made in Asia and packaged with names like Record and Stanley and so on. No sign on the package to show these details any more.

By: J Guengerich

J Guengerich — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 04:21:00 +0000

This is one area where I am going to not consider ebay. I have this desire to help a few of the companies that make affordable hand tools.
Lee Valley sells this drill that I believe is made in Germany, where my ancestors hail from; http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32294&cat=1,180,42337&ap=1
Braces made in France (try to find a brace that is made in the US today; http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32300&cat=1,180,42337&ap=1
I know other online stores sell these tools, from the same makers, too.
I can buy vintage tools off ebay but I won’t be supporting the companies that are trying to keep the hand tools… in our hands but I do use it to buy tools that are more affordable used than new.
Just food for thought.

By: Paul Sellers

Paul Sellers — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 03:15:00 +0000

We in the US and Britain often hear of German-made tools in favourable terms and so too its efforts to apprentice yet I have seen a decline in what once came from its manufacturers and training traditions. That’s the same for British makers and trainers too. I hope that it’s not too late to see this turn. Some Canadian, American and British makers hold their own when it comes to quality and companies like Lie Nielsen, Veritas and Clifton as well as a dozen more like Bob Wenzlof, Phil Edwards and Richard Maguire may well stem the tide without even knowing what they are doing.
I hope one day we will see a new strategy emerge from a genre committed to understand what working wood is really all about, don’t you?

By: Paul Sellers

Paul Sellers — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 03:03:00 +0000

I am saddened by that true reflection, but I know without good teachers the schools are not where it is at. There are good teachers that have sparked a love for working wood without even saying anything. My first woodworking teacher influenced me. He verbally told me not to become a woodworker, but his life and skill working wood told me I must. I followed his unspoken advice. That was fifty years ago. No regrets.

By: Paul Sellers

Paul Sellers — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:52:00 +0000

Hello Mr Chris,
My mother is from Ghent, which is where I spent many happy times.
Let me think about the plane question. I will get back to you.

By: mr Chris

mr Chris — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Hi Paul,
where in Belgium is your mother from?
As regards woodworking in Belgium and France, I think it is a lifestyle question, the attitudes to manual crafts in both Belgium and France are very different to the attitudes in the Anglo-saxon countries, and thus there is no market for woodworking magazines.
Another question: a friend a passed on his grand-father’s wooden plane and the blade is very hard and will take a lot of grinding to get it into shape. Is it likely to be worth the effort?
thanks again for all your blogs.