Hand-stitched rasps

[Noel Liogier]

It is very heartening to see how you are interested in this subject. I agree with almost all that have been written so far. I don't pretend to know the truth, I just do my best efforts to do things right, day after day. One last element I want to add to the debate about productivity improvements, altough it may not give a very profesionnal image of myself. I am indeed always keen of improving our productivity (and I even believe that I did some important improvements), but always keeping two things in mind:
First, what makes me happy, my real objective, is to know that one day I will retire and that this day I will have something to transmit and to know that I have transmitted it well. So the possible improvements have to be good not only on the short term.
Second, we are a seven persons company, working together for so long I can’t remember how many years. Not being able to provide work to one of this 6 companions would be a personal failure I don’t want to experience.
These two decision criteria will look very outdated to many. Others may think it is a privilege that few people have the option to have. I think that's one reason for the longevity of the company.

[Bob Smalser]

…the possible improvements have to be good not only on the short term…one reason for the longevity of the company….

…Not being able to provide work to one of this 6 companions would be a personal failure I don’t want to experience.

Exactly.

Just because the company hasn’t failed in so many years doesn’t mean it won’t fail in the dramatically-uncertain economy yet to come in Europe and North America. Substitute line shafts, water wheel and mill pond for 3-phase power and I don’t see anything in your video more efficient than 1890 except for the book keeping. Even medium to small cabinet and machine shops around here are going to CNC machines for repetitive tasks so as to increase their efficiency…letting the machines and computers do what machines and computers do best and hand tools what they do best.



But I’m also suggesting you have an untapped market you aren’t even scratching the surface of. Every commercial woodworking shop, however machine-reliant, has three or four basic rasps for those occasional tasks where the work piece won’t fit the machine, there is no machine made for the task, or the frequency of the task doesn’t justify the cost of the machine. You don’t have to convert your entire lineup to increase production and sales, you only have to produce a few basic cabinet rasps at a price point where the superior finish provided by your product justifies its increased cost in labor savings to a commercial operation. I don’t know what that price is, but it’s probably not 250% of a Nicholson #50.

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//...egory_Code=TAU

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...holson_50_rasp

[Jim Koepke]

I don’t know what that price is, but it’s probably not 250% of a Nicholson #50.

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//...egory_Code=TAU

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...holson_50_rasp

Tools for working wood no longer sells the Nicholson #49 or #50 because the quality has dropped dramatically:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com//...tml&BlogID=181

I have one of the Brazilian #50 and some hand stitched rasps. I am glad to have the hand made products and feel they are worth every bit more they cost compared to the Nicholson. If there were do overs allowed, I would not have bought the Nicholson and would have saved up and bought a heavier hand stitched rasp to go with the 13 & 15 grain cabinet makers rasps in my shop.

jtk

[ian maybury]

Hi Noel. I'm not an experienced hand tool user, am not US based and have to admit to having bought a couple of Swiss made rasps which seem quite similar to your tools recently. I have to say though that I've been amazed at how effective they are for general shaping and wood removal, and that if yours are equal or better that there must be a huge untapped market of uninformed potential users out there.

It was eye opening the way they cut the wood properly with that crisp and effortless sense a sharp blade always gives - I've been used to using various forms of files and car body tools on wood and none can compare. I had though that the nature of the tool would be such that it would clog and tear rather than cut - but absolutely not.

Good luck with your business.

ian

[Deane Allinson]

I kept wondering why this thread kept continuing for so long, I decided to take a look, and now I know why. Thanks for sharing that video.
Deane

[Noel Liogier]

Hi Noel. I'm not an experienced hand tool user, am not US based and have to admit to having bought a couple of Swiss made rasps which seem quite similar to your tools recently. I have to say though that I've been amazed at how effective they are for general shaping and wood removal, and that if yours are equal or better that there must be a huge untapped market of uninformed potential users out there.

It was eye opening the way they cut the wood properly with that crisp and effortless sense a sharp blade always gives - I've been used to using various forms of files and car body tools on wood and none can compare. I had though that the nature of the tool would be such that it would clog and tear rather than cut - but absolutely not.

Good luck with your business.

ian

Hi Ian, yes the main effort I have to do is to convince woodworkers that they don't know what a rasp can do until they tried (a real good) one. Most of them, once tried, find many many ways to use them they would never are thought before.

I have never heard about a Swiss hand-stitched rasp producer. I would be curious to know a bit more about your rasps.

[David Weaver]

Noel - are you having any luck finding a reasonable distributor in the US? My only fear is that you find someone who wants to mark up the rasps so much that they become unreasonably priced here, sort of like comparing the shapton professional sharpening stone price vs. what they cost where they're made.

I commend your dedication to your employees.

[John Coloccia]

Shoot. I'd almost be tempted to import them and sell them through my business. They're probably perfect for guitar carving.

[David Weaver]

do it do it do it do it

[Klaus Kretschmar]

It is very heartening to see how you are interested in this subject. I agree with almost all that have been written so far. I don't pretend to know the truth, I just do my best efforts to do things right, day after day. One last element I want to add to the debate about productivity improvements, altough it may not give a very profesionnal image of myself. I am indeed always keen of improving our productivity (and I even believe that I did some important improvements), but always keeping two things in mind:
First, what makes me happy, my real objective, is to know that one day I will retire and that this day I will have something to transmit and to know that I have transmitted it well. So the possible improvements have to be good not only on the short term.
Second, we are a seven persons company, working together for so long I can’t remember how many years. Not being able to provide work to one of this 6 companions would be a personal failure I don’t want to experience.
These two decision criteria will look very outdated to many. Others may think it is a privilege that few people have the option to have. I think that's one reason for the longevity of the company.

Noel,

thank you for this statement! I find it very honorable and it matches my feelings very well. It's important in our quick running world that there are manufacturers who are willing to withstand the main stream by taking high responsibility for their employees. I do think that it is a wise decision to maintain the traditional way to create world class tools. Every outsourcing of work and every change to get higher output by leaving the traditional way will necessarily be companied by a decrease of quality. I'm pretty sure, that those manufacturers that are able to keep the best possible product quality will have a chance to survive in this global shark economy if they are able to show why their products need to be more expensive than others which only seem to be the same.

I do wish you all the best on your way and my next order of a rasp will be done by asking you for sure.

Klaus