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Is it copper clad, or was it used to cut copper pipe?

NOS = New, Old Stock

I got 20 slightly used/practically NOS Nicholsons from the former employee of a local firearms company after the company offshored manufacturing to China. They used them by the case--then threw them...

This is a common complaint. It is somewhat surprising that the manufacturing industry would tolerate this state a state of affairs from such a staple consumable.

Hmm. I can see how the photo would make it seem like a slate, but it has the fingerfeel of the little gray Thuringian I have, and it doesn't have the striations or oleaginous texture of slate. It's...

Okay, here's a goofy stone I picked up yesterday. This was the pick of the litter at the bottom of a wooden box with some picked-over, very old, too-far-gone tools. Judging by its companions the...

Yes, plastic tubs with lids and clearly marked labels on masking tape can keep things tidy and organized for access and cleanup. Good for awkwardly-shaped multi-part doodles with imminently lose-able...

I'd suggest that during this hand tool/old tool renaissance a lot of people (myself included) have discovered that hand tools can be easier to use and give more pleasing results, along with the...

I like bridger's idea of a chest of shallow drawers; most tools will fit into, and would be well-organized by them. The configuration also wastes less space. Tool chests with sliding drawers take up...

It helps to use a red sharpie to mark the gullet to the tips of the teeth. You can easily see if you've jointed sufficiently, and to see if you're faithfully reproducing the rake/fleam on a saw that...

I'm curious to see what you think of it, especially what handle angle seems to work out best; it would appear that you could vary it with that saw. Does seem like you could get more work done with 28...

No, the first rule of shaving with a straight razor is to wear at least underwear in front of the mirror. Never had a problem, but you know what they say about trying to catch a falling knife . . . .

Some of those are very pretty--almost like lapis lazuli cerulean. Have you tried any of them? I think many of us would enjoy reading about your experiences with one of those, for curiosity's sake. As...

Usually it's a combination of grease, oil, sawdust, and other assorted junk on the helical grooves. Clean them with mineral spirits or kerosene and a bristle brush and put some 3-in-1 oil on the...

In that third photo the blade looks like it's 1/8" past the sole, which would be much too far. Am I seeing it incorrectly or is it a camera/parallax misperception? I'd open the mouth as wide as it...

Hey George, riddle me this, and I realize you're not an engineer, but have you noticed that the newer electric motors are lighter and seem weaker, and that the ball bearings they employ don't seem to...

0.615" is ten thou off 5/8", which is 1/8" off of 1/2". The grinding wheel I got came with a number of concentric plastic bushings to adapt a 3/4" arbor hole down to about 3/8". There ought to be...

A nice sharp round paint scraper of the type you can get at your local BORG is useful for scraping and finishing the inside of the bowl. Unlike round card scrapers, it comes with a handle and when...

Kees, it's just for very delicate operations. As an example, take a panel saw and lay the last third flat on your bench, with your hand on it to keep it flat, and flex the handle upward. Then, relax...

Long, thin paring chisels have low bevel angles (20º or so), they have a bolstered shank--never a socket, and are only ever used with hand pressure--never a mallet-- for very very fine operations, so...

When you're paring just a fraction of an inch with a long, flexible paring chisel, all you have to do is align the flat of the chisel in the plane you're paring, and flex the chisel, which springs...

Wow, someone did all the work on most of those already, handles too. Looks like all you need to do is sharpen them. Golden era too. Those thumbholes are comfy. I've been picking up some interesting...

Which lot did you get? Just curious.

Priceless observation!

I really like the idea of having a urethane strop. Seems like it would be uniform and take chromium powder nicely.