I open wood planes on ebay and looks like the first 100 items are chinese made! What in the world is going on? Will china finally take all jobs away from us?! It is obvious that they must be selling the stuff or they would stop running their ads!

So, when you go to sell your tools or look for some to buy, where do you look? Why?

I haven't been to flea markets or yard sales in quite some years, but used to go all the time and there were always a lot of old tools around.   Your best bet if there are no local sellers (at any kind of reasonable price and condition) is to check craigslist and other online listings and then check the bay for known quality makers (with the understanding you may be getting a franken-plane (one put together from parts) or it'll simply be so expensive you'll start looking at the planes currently being made.

 

I don't see very many planes at the Restores nearest me; I don't know if they never show up or are scarfed up before i get in the door.   I've been to probably 7-8 different ones and a lot of the tools are beat.

7 minutes ago, p_toad said:

I haven't been to flea markets or yard sales in quite some years, but used to go all the time and there were always a lot of old tools around.   Your best bet if there are no local sellers (at any kind of reasonable price and condition) is to check craigslist and other online listings and then check the bay for known quality makers (with the understanding you may be getting a franken-plane (one put together from parts) or it'll simply be so expensive you'll start looking at the planes currently being made.

 

I don't see very many planes at the Restores nearest me; I don't know if they never show up or are scarfed up before i get in the door.   I've been to probably 7-8 different ones and a lot of the tools are beat.

Place down in Springfield, OH....."Heart of Ohio"  is a HUGE store....and always seems to have a lot of old hand tools.....

Hand planes are becoming a lot more scarce in my area. You rarely find them at garage sales and the flea market(s) don't have much. Every once in a while you catch the Northern Snowbirds selling at the market during the winter. They bring them down from up North but they have an inflated expectation of what is a fair price. They try to hype the "Collector" price. I inform them that I want the user price. I don't leave my planes with 80 year old patina. They are trued and properly fetted for use. Most are finished/polished to a much finer surface finish than originally came from the factory...my personal preference. So, when I am done they will have no "collectors" value. However, they will serve me until the end and probably will serve someones else after I am long gone.

 

Fortunately, over the years I was able to put together a comprehensive and usable selection of Stanley's. All of them were refurbished and are USERS.  Most here have seen part of my stable:

 

 

However, the above is just a little of the total inventory...the wood planes date from mid and late 1800's to what was a new, late(r) type #7C. I am, also, not above purchasing the occasional Veritas "wood shaver". They are an absolute joy to use. A "properly tuned" Stanley or other quality makers plane can be made to function correctly but the Veritas planes are in a league of their own.

 

My best advise...stay away from the off-shore junk on Fleabay. No matter how much work you put into it it will still be poor quality materials and a poor quality user. Keep checking the yard sales, flea markets, etc. for older name brand (Stanley, Record, Bailey, Miller Falls, etc.) to refurbish and don't hesitate to ask on any of the many woodworking forums if someone has any to sell. You might be surprised what someone will come up with...even parts to complete an incomplete garage sale find.

Yep, another one bites the dust https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/bridge-city-tool-works-sold-chinese-manufacturer

 

passionate customers of Bridge City “will hardly notice the change.” -- RIGHT!?

The originals just got more expensive, with that move. They have a tool collection of every tool they ever made and are selling it off too.

Herb

On ‎6‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 5:55 PM, kmealy said:

Yep, another one bites the dust https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/bridge-city-tool-works-sold-chinese-manufacturer

 

passionate customers of Bridge City “will hardly notice the change.” -- RIGHT!?

 

...picture of a plane in that article...it's disgusting...  Looks like one of them Transformer dudes waiting to turn into an empty cat food can...

Bridge City has been famous for producing high quality (and a correspondingly higher priced) tools. It appears, that, Xu holds the same values as Economaki, but how long before the quality suffers...my guess is two years when Economaki is finally gone and no longer overseeing the QC inspections of the Xu lines.

 

I'm in total agreement with @Nickp on the plane observations. Form should follow function. Although this Star Wars design probably does an excellent job, my tastes would run to the more classical Lie-Nielsen, Veritas, or other high quality modern planes for a comparable or lower price. There are only so many ways to "shave wood" and "silky smooth" is in, er, the hands of the holder. It is totally subjective. Does that Bridge City plane work any better than the comparable Veritas?

 

My guess is, that, you get to the same end result either way.

 

If you are going to demand HIGH prices for quality tools then focus on unique tools that are not common in the industry. Don't hype me "art deco" tools.

 

Just my 2¢!!!!!

Ebay has a setting on the left .... USA made only....

( oldwoodie wrote : I open wood planes on ebay and looks like the first 100 items are chinese made! What in the world is going on? Will china finally take all jobs away from us?! It is obvious that they must be selling the stuff or they would stop running their ads! ) This one reason why I get sick and tired of hearing Harbor freight rants. Plus anyone that knows anything about tools knows they are a waste of your hard earned dollar.

Edited September 22, 20196 yr by CharlieL