20/6/2016
This is a question that came up in a recent discussion I had with Frank Bartlett and Bob Demers. I thought it could be a good idea to have a wider discussion to hear what other woodworkers and collectors of woodworking tools have to say. To get you thinking I will try to verbalise my ideas on the topic.
As a (very much) parttime hobbyist woodworker I do not get to spend a lot of time doing woodwork. It is a constant frustration, especially when you end up not being able to do any work for almost a month, like what happened to me recently (hence my prolonged absence from the blogosphere). During times like that the only thing I can do is to use the little bits of time I do have to read about woodworking or tools. When I think about it, I probably spend a hell of a lot more time reading than working (woodworking that is).
I sometimes get the impression that some bloggers/writers tend to make negative comments about people who read more than what they work. It creates a type of stigma which I think is very unhelpful. Most of the woodworkers that form part of the online woodworking community are not able to make shavings constantly, but tends to read as much as they can because you can do that in short breaks at work, on holiday etc. They are therefore perhaps slightly less skilled, but usually quite a bit better informed about various historical aspects of the craft. That certainly does not make their contribution less valuable or in any way inferior.
Now that I have opened that can of worms, I would like to argue that it is this specific dynamic that has the biggest influence on my collecting tendencies. Reading about various different tools, how they are used, who made them, why they are so “essential” etc etc, plays a huge role in that urge to find such a tool. Once you find one, especially a really old one, it is like finding a treasure of some sort and therefore quite a challenge to resist.
That brings me to another angle on the same basic idea. It is very strange how life can sometimes go full circle. When I had to make the decision to drop woodworking as a subject at school, I replaced it with History. It is a long story which I explained in a previous post, which you can find here. Despite history being something that took me away from woodwork I have a suspicion that it now plays a role in my fascination with tools. Partly as a result of my interest in history, I find it extremely fascinating to read about the history of tools, the companies who made them and learning how to date the tools according to various features that changed over the years of it’s production.
Once you (armed with the above knowledge) then come across a tool that you know was for example made before 1900, it becomes irresistible, especially if the price is ridiculously cheap. It almost feels like time traveling when you have the privilege of using a tool that was used by other craftsmen more than a 100 years ago. In this way you also become part of that history.
At this point I have to state that I still like to think that I buy tools to work with rather than put them on a shelve (of course with no judgement on those who prefer doing just that). I can back that up by the fact that I am buying a lot less now than before. I almost have a complete set of stuff I need for the work I am doing at this stage. Well, to be honest the unprecedented weakening of our currency also played it’s part. Despite that I now only tend to buy very specific tools that I need for certain tasks that would be difficult with my current set.
Again there is probably a caveat to the above statement that would be important to add in the interest of complete transparency. I have been able to find a way to justify further “unnecessary” tool procurements. If I see a tool that is reasonably priced and a significant step up from the one I already have, my justification goes like this: “the new tool can replace my old one and I can then keep the previous one for my son”. In fact I actually also buy tools “for his best mate Connor”. Crafty hey?
Unfortunately it has already happened on a few “isolated” occasions that the justification had to be utilised. It therefore made me take note of Frank’s comment that he decided not to build up a second set of tools for his son. He argues that his son will actually appreciate the tools more as heirlooms if he (his son) has his own history with the tools. In other words, used those very same tools for some years with his father. I have never thought of it like this and think he makes a good point. The only problem I have with that is that it would negate my handy justification (for continued indulgence in tool procurement) and expose my carefully manicured tools to inevitable albeit non-deliberate abuse until their skill level picks up.
What I have noticed though, is that I tend to nowadays lean towards tools that would not need much rehab whereas in the past I bought stuff that needed a lot of work. I do not regret it at all though, as the rehab projects taught me so much about the tools and how they work (or should work). After restoring 6-7 bench planes you should however know what you need to know and it actually becomes something that keeps you from generating shavings, hence my change in tactics. In the picture below you can see a picture of my Stanley no. 78 rabbet plane. It is from my early phase. As you can see it was completely reconditioned, needed a levercap (which I fashioned out of a piece of brass), made an idiosyncratic levercap screw from scratch and ordered a new blade from Lie-Nielsen for it. Now I would not even dream of doing that.
I hope these musings will suffice as a good starting point for a wider discussion on this topic. Please join in and add your two cents’ worth.
PS – for a comprehensive and riveting discussion on the topic see this post by The Valley Woodworker.
Good post and good idea. I will answer on my blog tomorrow
Bob and Rudy
Excellent thank you Bob. I will add a link to your post here. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
Gerhard
Gerhard, There are two kinds of tool collectors: the first one collect tools as they are needed, the second one because they MAY be needed! (I fall into that category!) For the same reason that some people collect books, stamps or whatever, my tools are my constant companions on life’s journey.
Dirk
Greetings from Jozi!
Hi Dirk
It is wonderful to hear from you. Thank you for your contribution, it makes me feel it bit better about my weakness for buying tools. I think I am somewhere in between those two categories and also see the tools as companions on a woodworking journey. That is why I would never (voluntarily) part from the tools I spent most effort in restoring. As you would know better than most, in Africa we sometimes have to part involuntarily with our tools. Even if I see a much better tool, I will stick to those special ones as they really feel part of me as a result of the journey we share.
Please stay in touch
Gerhard
Hi Gerhard,
that’s an interesting question and discussion. Let my just add my two cents.
I wouldn’t say that I’m a tool collector, or better I wasn’t. For a while I have bought what was needed and that was nearly everything because I came from having no woodworking tools.
Every time I found a new hobby I was deeply dedicated to that one. And woodworking makes no difference. And it’s not only building, especially as you mentioned if your free time is rare. There are topics around that. And building something needs tools.
I’m more or less new to this hobby and would like to know how things are working and how crafts men could do all this work by hand. So I started to buy some used and tools from the flea market. Some because they were needed (like a brace or the corresponding auger bits). Some others to save them or they interested me.
And now rehabbing is part of this hobby. Do I collect all this stuff. No, my space is limited. I keep the tools I need or I like pretty much and try to give away the one or the other.
For me it is part of the hobby. And I have something to hunt for when I have to go out to the flea market with my wife ;-).
Cheers,
Stefan
Hi Stefan
Thank you for your excellent contribution. I have been lucky to receive quite a few tools form my father. He was however a powertool woodworker, so most of my current tools were also bought with my own money. Not having much space is probably a good thing because it would help restrict unnecessary tool purchases.
Please stay in touch.
Gerhard
Gerhard and Stefan, never let the lack of spaces be a determining factor in how much tools you should have… (Insert a huge grinning face of Bob here) there are always way around that. Not that i should know, but i got that from a very close source, like the little voice in my head 🙂
Bob, the jokester
Thank you Bob, I will tell the wife and refer her to you if she has any questions.
Gerhard the tool junky
Well…. as an admitted tool collecting addict, I figured I should chime in.
I think that I have finally settled down. My eBay combing days seem to be over, and I have decided that I seem to have to many tools. I still have a poke around at the flea market in the summer months, but I have become much more selective these days. Last month, I saw a Stanley No. 7 of good vintage (maybe type 11) for $35. I left it sitting there. It needed a good restoration but had excellent bones and the wooden parts were undamaged. My shop time has been drastically reduced lately because of work and I just decided that I didn’t want to two weeks restoring a No. 7 when I already have one.
I still have a fairly large backlog of tools that need restoring, and doing that stops me doing other woodworking projects. I’ve got about 6-8 handsaws that I need to do and about 5 planes still awaiting my attention.
Do I need four No. 5 planes? Of course not, but I seem to have them. Along with four No. 4’s and too many others to list. I probably should get rid of some of them, but I cringe when I think about how many hours went into their restoration and how little I could sell them for. One thing is certain, my shop is getting a little uncomfortable due to overcrowding, and I am going to have to do something.
I think for a short while, the hobby became tool collecting rather than woodworking. I think my emphasis is slowly switching back towards woodworking, but I do want to finish the tools that are still pending restoration. With work cutting into my shop time lately, I think now might be a good time to stop building completely and buckle down and finish all the restorations. I can do those things for 1 hour a day, where as building a project seems to consume me.
Enough rambling…
Great post!
All the best,
Jonathan
Hey Jonathan
Always wonderful to hear from you. As per usual, we tend to follow the same trajectory in terms of our woodworking journey. A lot of what you describe sounds very familiar to me.
I was invited yesterday to go and watch how your tool was made. The artisan decided to redo it as he wanted to try some new techniques that he found out about after making the first version. It was absolutely fascinating.
I hope to send it off to you before the end of the month.
Have a wonderful day mate.
Gerhard
I can really relate to Jonathan story, Mea Culpa 🙂
Bob and Rudy