On 11/21/2024 at 9:44 PM, steven newman said:

I am quite ok with using Vintage..

Stanley No. 3, Type 15....seems to work quite well...

I always said those planes made far better furniture than I ever will so I buy the old ones, tune them up, and take care of my tools.

My specific interest and projects vary, and my tools are a mish mash of everything. Still buying power and still buying hand tools as well as vintage...just depends. I usually don't buy the cheapest but I'm pretty sure my new Makita sidewinder isn't American made. I also scored a Lowes gift card from Santa. I'm thinking I'm gonna help it out a bit and get me a skilmg 77 worm saw I believe, also I'm pretty sure not made here anymore. More of a want than a need but that will pretty well set me on power saws. I don't need to much of an excuse to purchase tools 

 

One of the things I step up and buy quality only on is my files and rasps...By and large it's german and italian all the way. Files are Glardon Vallorbe. I buy them because I can tell a huge difference in performance, and I enjoy using them....but yes they are more expensive than average. If there are solid USA brands that I could support on a purchase and the quality is there, I'd like to do so just depending. As previously state there are lots of variables on the issue for sure. 

I also may add I know of a few who make their living in the arts/crafts arena. The first one isn't necessarily from production so much as social media $$ (I'm guessing) but here he is. I'm in healthcare and while I don't know him personally a lot of people I work with do. He left the hospital a few years ago. 

 

 

 

 

I don't know as much about him but I've followed this fella for years. I know that everything he makes is sold. It's top shelf stuff and I'm sure his clientele are not average income folks....but he makes his living at it. All of his stuff is scratch built. 

 

 

The Art of Age of Sail - Fine ship and boat models from the Age of Sail

 

 

I probably left the opening discussion subject matter a little...

Edited December 30, 20241 yr by aaronc

On 11/22/2024 at 9:14 AM, John Morris said:

I did too JWD, there is a lot that can be unpacked from what he said. There are so many variables and conditions that go into someones decision to purchasing what they need for their hobby and business as well, it truly is to each his own on this one. It's hard to just throw a pretty blanket over all of it and yell "support the American worker!". It's not always that cut and dry and easy to do. In my own life, when I first put my garage shop together 23 years ago, I bought mainly Grizzly, because at the time it was inexpensive, and I could not afford the USA brands. I didn't lose sleep over it either. I wanted to woodwork.

 

I've downsized a whole lot since then, I have a Shopsmith, and a Laguna Lathe, that's it, and all my hand tools. The machinery went bye bye about 6 years ago for various reasons, one of them being I wanted to force myself to use more hand tools.

One of his points though, I do think he hit the nail on the head with hand tools, buy new hand tools American "IF" you can because he is right, they are superior than the vintage tools, if you can't afford those shiny new hand planes from Lie Nielson, buy vintage, because they are superior than the new Chinese knock offs, and they work very sweet!

 

 

Nothing against migrating to hand tools,..they are the bees knees on coolness. However, I can't believe you downsized...wow