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Thread: Newb Impression of The Woodworking Show

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    St. Jacob, IL.
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    122

    Newb Impression of The Woodworking Show

    My wife and I attended the St. Louis Woodworking Show on Saturday. As a handtool kind of guy, I can't say that I was impressed at all. I went with a pocket full of change expecting to get everything I needed but unless you are into power tools there wasn't much to look at. Lee Valey had a booth and I got to try their dovetail saws, which I was very impressed with for the money, but no discounts other than free shipping. They had a new Wenzloff dovetail saw on display but wouldn't let me "test drive" it. I was really supprised at the Rockler booth. All they had at the show were Bench Cookies. I guess there were a few deals to be had at various vendors if you needed any clamps.
    The place was an absolute madhouse. My wife commented several times how rude the general public in attendance was and I noticed the same thing. We got the impression that better than 50% of the men in attendance didn't think the women should be there.
    On a positive note, I attended the Hand Tool workshop put on by Mr. Roland Johnson and was VERY IMPRESSED. I now know more about hand planes and sharpening than I have learned in the past month on the internet. Also I think we may have a new woodworker in the family. My wife was allowed to make a custom ballpoint pen on a lathe. I'm pretty sure we are buying a lathe now!
    Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking too it.
    Thank You,
    Bob Warfield

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Lansing, KS
    Posts
    335
    Wow, that is very different from my experience last year. The Lee Valley booth was very hands on. We test drove all of their planes, all of their saws, including the new dovetail saw and the Wenzloff saws sold through Lee Valley. The store also offered a 10% discount and free shipping if you ordered at the show. Has this all changed? I'd sure like to find out before I buy a ticket and go to the show in KC this week.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Springfield, MA
    Posts
    313
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Warfield View Post
    My wife and I attended the St. Louis Woodworking Show on Saturday. As a handtool kind of guy, I can't say that I was impressed at all. I went with a pocket full of change expecting to get everything I needed but unless you are into power tools there wasn't much to look at. Lee Valey had a booth and I got to try their dovetail saws, which I was very impressed with for the money, but no discounts other than free shipping. They had a new Wenzloff dovetail saw on display but wouldn't let me "test drive" it. I was really supprised at the Rockler booth. All they had at the show were Bench Cookies. I guess there were a few deals to be had at various vendors if you needed any clamps.
    The place was an absolute madhouse. My wife commented several times how rude the general public in attendance was and I noticed the same thing. We got the impression that better than 50% of the men in attendance didn't think the women should be there.
    On a positive note, I attended the Hand Tool workshop put on by Mr. Roland Johnson and was VERY IMPRESSED. I now know more about hand planes and sharpening than I have learned in the past month on the internet. Also I think we may have a new woodworker in the family. My wife was allowed to make a custom ballpoint pen on a lathe. I'm pretty sure we are buying a lathe now!
    Anyway thats my story and I'm sticking too it.
    Thank You,
    Bob Warfield
    The Woodworks traveling show of past years is out of business and I've heard that is has been replaced by a different organization that has much more of a power tool focus. I'm not sure who organized the St. Louis show, but if anyone has one coming up in their area, it would pay to look online beforehand for the vendors, demonstrations, etc.

    Jim

  4. #4

    So sorry to hear that

    Yes, the show has changed hands from what I've heard and read. The crass comments about women being in attandance are just stupid if they are commonplace at any of the shows. Women belong in woodworking just as much as men. They bring their own perspective to all of it, the least of which is a strong but often unheard voice to tailor power and hand tools to a smaller hand size that's using them. They also stand with us, or sometimes against us on all our tool/wood purchases
    Don't see how excluding a gender from a great craft or way of life makes any sense. Try doing that to "Carol the Router Lady" or other women that are well known in woodworking. Wouldn't be right or fair for anyone.
    And you know the men making those stupid comments at the show you attended would be the first to scream if someone tried to exclude them based on their sex/gender to some show or event.
    Sure, almost all the marketing is biased toward men in woodworking or the DIY market as well. At least with the new line of cordless tools that are smaller and lighter for everyone's hands, we all win.
    After thinking about how wide of a divide my quest for woodworking knowledge might be to our relationship I took my wife to her first show in Dec '09 at the Chicago/Schaumberg. Now she sees what I'm talking about, and she practically wanted me to change from sanding equipment to hand planes for that beautiful finish that hand planes give after sitting in on the hand plane session with G. Blackburn[spelling? .
    It's probably a good thing Lee Valley and L-N DIDN"T have a booth there, we'd have bought out their catalogs if she'd had hew way
    I got lots of questions from her about everything, so now she's not feeling left out of what I try to do in my shop. I highly encourage taking along your spouse if they're game, could be highly educational.
    Just warn your power tools that things could change and they'd need to look for a new home...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    594

    Woodworking Show in Kansas City Feb 19-21 Neander Alert

    For those of you that can make it to the Woodworking Show in Kansas City this weekend (Feb 19, 20, 21) the Kansas City Woodworker's Guild will be hosting SMC regular Jr. Strasil and his traveling workshop.

    We will also be having a mix of demonstrations during the day, hand tool, power tool and fancy jig making.

    The Lee Summit Woodworker's Guild will also be in attendance and running demonstrations.

    Google will find you the guild web sites if you search for :

    Kansas City Woodworkers Guild
    Lee Summit Woodworkers Guild
    Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    College Station, Texas
    Posts
    893

    Women in Woodworking

    I was raised in a generation where women weren't common in any of the trades. I went to work for a company in Houston where there were a lot of women doing welding and similar piecework. They had started during WWII and kept on after the war, eventually retiring. They had my total respect.

    I recently went to the LN Tool Show in Austin. There was one young lady in particular that was demo-ing and answering questions. She was about 1/3 my age and had 3 times my skill and knowledge.

    So There.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    KC, MO
    Posts
    2,041
    Quote Originally Posted by Phillip Pattee View Post
    Wow, that is very different from my experience last year. The Lee Valley booth was very hands on. We test drove all of their planes, all of their saws, including the new dovetail saw and the Wenzloff saws sold through Lee Valley. The store also offered a 10% discount and free shipping if you ordered at the show. Has this all changed? I'd sure like to find out before I buy a ticket and go to the show in KC this week.
    I emailed LV a few weeks ago and they made NO MENTION of any DISCOUNT for this years show. I am disappointed and let them know the traditional 10% discount is really what generates a huge percentage of their sales. I had several items on my list - but it doesn't look like any will be ordered this year.

    We are in the heart of a widespread economic depression.......what is LV thinking? They have offered the discount for years; bad time to quit...imho....and I think their 'WWing Show' sales will reflect it.

  8. #8

    I totally agree with you Tom

    I hope you got that from my post. I didn't hear any comments from anyone while my wife and I were at the show, but maybe no one was going to speak loud enough while I was nearby.[I'm, 6'1 and 220lbs]
    Having said that, I think one thing the current show could improve on is some sort of noise deadening panels to put up around where the seminars are being held. Once you hit the earliest talks/demos and they end, the incoming crowd and the noise level in the background from everyone else in the show grows to a very distracting level. Then you throw in all sorts of power tools being demo'd, and there's just that much more noise level, along with all the competing speakers at each booth, with each of their own sound/PA system trying to rise above the next booth. You do get a bit of total chaos when the shows are in full swing.
    I realize the pain and money that some freestanding noise panels may impose on the show, with set-up time and breakdown, but it would help in my opinion.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Callan Campbell View Post
    Yes, the show has changed hands from what I've heard and read. The crass comments about women being in attandance are just stupid if they are commonplace at any of the shows. Women belong in woodworking just as much as men. They bring their own perspective to all of it, the least of which is a strong but often unheard voice to tailor power and hand tools to a smaller hand size that's using them. They also stand with us, or sometimes against us on all our tool/wood purchases
    Don't see how excluding a gender from a great craft or way of life makes any sense. Try doing that to "Carol the Router Lady" or other women that are well known in woodworking. Wouldn't be right or fair for anyone.
    And you know the men making those stupid comments at the show you attended would be the first to scream if someone tried to exclude them based on their sex/gender to some show or event.
    Sure, almost all the marketing is biased toward men in woodworking or the DIY market as well. At least with the new line of cordless tools that are smaller and lighter for everyone's hands, we all win.
    After thinking about how wide of a divide my quest for woodworking knowledge might be to our relationship I took my wife to her first show in Dec '09 at the Chicago/Schaumberg. Now she sees what I'm talking about, and she practically wanted me to change from sanding equipment to hand planes for that beautiful finish that hand planes give after sitting in on the hand plane session with G. Blackburn[spelling? .
    It's probably a good thing Lee Valley and L-N DIDN"T have a booth there, we'd have bought out their catalogs if she'd had hew way
    I got lots of questions from her about everything, so now she's not feeling left out of what I try to do in my shop. I highly encourage taking along your spouse if they're game, could be highly educational.
    Just warn your power tools that things could change and they'd need to look for a new home...
    Callan, I couldn't agree with you more. A few boorish individuals paint us all with the same brush of ignorance and intolerance. If you are in to woodworking, I don't care if you are a Marshan, welcome aboard!!

    Now on a sad note for you Callan, Lie Nielsen is putting on a test drive show at Jeff Miller's 1744 W Lunt in Chicago on Apr 9 & 10. There are always a few more demonstrators there, and it is very wife friendly if not wallet friendly.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe McMahon View Post
    Callan, I couldn't agree with you more. A few boorish individuals paint us all with the same brush of ignorance and intolerance. If you are in to woodworking, I don't care if you are a Marshan, welcome aboard!!

    Now on a sad note for you Callan, Lie Nielsen is putting on a test drive show at Jeff Miller's 1744 W Lunt in Chicago on Apr 9 & 10. There are always a few more demonstrators there, and it is very wife friendly if not wallet friendly.
    Yes, I know about the show. And I plan on attending as it would be my first L-N demo. We'll have to see about the wallet issue when April rolls around Are you going to be there, if so, PM me with a cell phone number and I do the same, perhaps we can meet up. Would be nice to meet a fellow Creeker in person for a change.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    A suburb of Los Angeles California
    Posts
    644
    Quote Originally Posted by Roy Wall View Post
    We are in the heart of a widespread economic depression.......what is LV thinking? They have offered the discount for years; bad time to quit...imho....and I think their 'WWing Show' sales will reflect it.
    Lee Valley is in the same recession its customers are. If by skipping the discount, LV will still be in the handtool business in five years, I'll take that trade-off.
    AKA - "The human termite"

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Central NY State
    Posts
    899
    At shows I've attended, LV gives a free shipping and "no sales tax" discount. [They absorbed the 8% NY sales tax.] This was more than satisfactory for me.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Location
    St. Louis
    Posts
    3,349
    Last year is the only time I've ever seen LV give a discount other than free shipping here. Can't recall if they didn't charge tax.
    Where did I put that tape measure...

  14. #14
    I'm planning on attending the KC show on Friday and Saturday if I feel its worth it to go back for day 2. I will definitely be stopping by the KCWG's booth.

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