Why do we keep upgrading our tools?

[Jim Koepke]

Are you still a woodworker or are you now just a tool collector? Denial, denial, denial. Many of the posts on woodworking forums have to do with what tools you have and few very honest folks actually admit that it has taken over their love of making things from wood. From someone who is just trying to start working with hand tools, I find it repulsive that someone admits to having 300 chisels or 50 planes but "is not a collector".

My explanation of my condition is tool accumulator. It is seldom a tool comes into my shop that doesn't have an intended use unless it is thought to be something that can be sold.

Just because someone enjoys working on old tools or equipment doesn't mean they have to give up the pleasure of working wood. Many of us enjoy working in multiple media, wood and metal just being two of them.

Not sure how many chisels or planes are in my shop. Almost all of them get used often enough to not begrudge them the space they occupy. Even the ones that are intended for sale get used just to make sure they perform to my liking. Not sure if there are a total of 300 chisels and gouges. The counting of planes was given up after it went past 50. No, it isn't my claim that everyone of them is absolutely needed.

When it comes to chisels it is convenient to have sets ground to different angles for use in different woods and situations. For gouges, of course one needs both in cannel and out cannel grinds on most profiles.

My current project is a pair of potting benches. One picture is of cutting a rabbet. It shows a total of five different planes used for the process. My hope is that it helps others to see how easy it is to use a rabbet plane and how other planes can be used to perfect the rabbet.

De Planes.jpg

Another image is of cutting the pin board. There are five chisels in the picture. Surely one can pair a pin board with a single chisel, but for me it is easier being able to switch off on the grip due to an injury to my dominate hand back in the 1950s. The other is sometimes a skew chisel is better than a straight chisel for paring away the waste. Sometimes a short chisel is better when the leverage of a long chisel isn't needed.

Tear Out - Right.jpg

If there is time before the farmers market season opens, I will likely document the making of a tea cabinet. If not maybe just the frame and panel door for the one that is already started.

Surely my work could be done with less tools on the shelf. As it is, my enjoyment soars by having an accumulation of tools that can meet and beat most of the challenges a piece of wood can bring to my shop.

So Dennis, your profile doesn't show your location. If you are near me and having trouble finding affordable tools let me know and you will be given a map to my secret hunting grounds and what was seen there of late that didn't make the trip home with me.

jtk

[Tony Zaffuto]

I didn't know of the bakelite D95, but after looking it up, no it isn't a D95. It has a hollow plastic handle that is seamed at the center. To me it is a saw shaped object.

I have a number of "Bakelite D95's" and also have a few other vintage plastic handled saws, one of which is a Disston and (IIRC) has a clear plastic handle. If I get to the shop yet today, I'll dig it out and post the model number.

[Tony Zaffuto]

I looked up the plastic handled saw I was thinking of and it is not a Disston: it is an Atkins "Five Hundred stainless steel" saw. Clear plastic handle, but uncomfortable because of the mold lines. I believe I have another Disston plastic handled saw, besides the Bakelite D-95's. I'm thinking it may be a single color, all brown or black, and when I have a bit more time, will try to figure out what pile of saws it is in.

Both the Bakelite Disstons and this Atkins appear to be "better" saws, and definitely not junkers.

[Shawn Pixley]

I looked up the plastic handled saw I was thinking of and it is not a Disston: it is an Atkins "Five Hundred stainless steel" saw. Clear plastic handle, but uncomfortable because of the mold lines. I believe I have another Disston plastic handled saw, besides the Bakelite D-95's. I'm thinking it may be a single color, all brown or black, and when I have a bit more time, will try to figure out what pile of saws it is in.

Both the Bakelite Disstons and this Atkins appear to be "better" saws, and definitely not junkers.

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Here is the "saw" in question.

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

The medallian says Disston as does an imprint in the plastic handle on the back next to the saw screw backs. Somehow I doubt that under the rust is a fine saw.

[Tom M King]

I had an old carpenter that worked for me in the mid '80s that had a Disston saw with a plastic handle like that. I remember it as a D-23 but am relying on a 30 year old vague memory. He kept it sharp, and it cut great.

[Tony Zaffuto]

The pic rings a bell with me Shawn! A few years back I picked up a saw with a handle that looked like that-thought it was a D-95 and it was cheap. It was a Disston, but no D-95 markings. I try to figure out where it's stored and post anything additional about it.

The "Bakelite D-95's" were supposedly higher end saws, with two-tone handles. I have at least three color combo's of the handles and a duplicate or two. The saws seem to not be loved by collectors, at least as far as I know.

[Shawn Pixley]

The pic rings a bell with me Shawn! A few years back I picked up a saw with a handle that looked like that-thought it was a D-95 and it was cheap. It was a Disston, but no D-95 markings. I try to figure out where it's stored and post anything additional about it.

The "Bakelite D-95's" were supposedly higher end saws, with two-tone handles. I have at least three color combo's of the handles and a duplicate or two. The saws seem to not be loved by collectors, at least as far as I know.

I am no collector. Okay, I'll clean the rust off. I can always put a new handle of this saw shaped object.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

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Here is the "saw" in question.

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

The medallian says Disston as does an imprint in the plastic handle on the back next to the saw screw backs. Somehow I doubt that under the rust is a fine saw.

Hey, flashback! I had one of those as a kid that someone gave me. Used the bejeebers out of it building all kinds of stuff. Worked perfectly for that. Thanks for the reminder!

[Dennis McCullen]

Mixed reactions from a thought-provoking statement - some read that the resentment is of "denial of collecting" not collecting itself and particularly denial of being a collector, while making few, if any, projects from wood in recent months (perhaps longer). This was my first visit to "Neander" land and certainly enjoyed reading the query "Why do we keep upgrading our tools?". Because we can is simple enough.

"also, I think it's a bit of an unfair gripe, there have been some incredible works created by the posters which regularly post in the neander forum."

..or what about because we progress in our craft and learn the refinements .. such as 3 different lengths of the same bevel edge 1/2" chisel..useful in different situations. I particularly enjoyed Jim's input, demonstrating that that there are refinements in hand tools that a "new user" may not yet be aware of. Not only is he perfecting his product, he is enhancing his work flow by having varying nuances to the same basic tool readily at hand for using. Well done, Jim! "My explanation of my condition is tool accumulator"
Jim- you are a natural-born teacher.Thanks.


... the honest and optimistic.....and he gets it....." I am a collector too, and quite frankly, the good user grade stuff isn't very interesting for my collection because it's too common. You were speaking of users that don't use though probably. Those guys are preparing to be sellers. Be patient."

[Brian Thornock]

Unlike some, I like to try to upgrade my tools from making better ones. I find this to be a great combination of my interests in woodworking, metalworking, and having shiny new tools while not spending a fortune. I am just finishing up a small infill smoother with purpleheart. Not necessarily because my type 13 #4 doesn't work, but to try something new and to have something shiny and pretty to have in the shop as well. I built a really nice infill shoulder plane, but haven't used it on a real project since. Still, it was a great project in and of itself and I am happy I did it. I like to accumulate, I've always been a collector of things, but mostly of things I have made. I have over a dozen guitars, which represents only about half of what I have made. Sure they all have their different uses and no two are alike, but I also like to see them all when I go to play. I find each one inspires different music. I also find that different tools inspire different techniques and projects.

[Frederick Skelly]

Unlike some, I like to try to upgrade my tools from making better ones. I find this to be a great combination of my interests in woodworking, metalworking, and having shiny new tools while not spending a fortune. I am just finishing up a small infill smoother with purpleheart. Not necessarily because my type 13 #4 doesn't work, but to try something new and to have something shiny and pretty to have in the shop as well. I built a really nice infill shoulder plane, but haven't used it on a real project since. Still, it was a great project in and of itself and I am happy I did it. I like to accumulate, I've always been a collector of things, but mostly of things I have made. I have over a dozen guitars, which represents only about half of what I have made. Sure they all have their different uses and no two are alike, but I also like to see them all when I go to play. I find each one inspires different music. I also find that different tools inspire different techniques and projects.

Thanks Brian. This was an interesting perspective.
Fred

[Tom M King]

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Here is the "saw" in question.

image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg

The medallian says Disston as does an imprint in the plastic handle on the back next to the saw screw backs. Somehow I doubt that under the rust is a fine saw.

I remembered it wrong. d-111? http://www.disstonianinstitute.com/d95page.html#d111

[John Sanford]

I find it repulsive that someone admits to having 300 chisels or 50 planes but "is not a collector".

Hmmm..... 300 chisels? Depends on where their focus in woodworking lies. Ditto for the planes. 50 planes might not even be "enough" for a hand tool woodworker who restores antique pieces. Heck, that's barely a set of hollows and rounds. If someone is a carver, well, just take a look at the # of chisels in pictures of shops where a lot of carving goes on...

All that said, there's no true shortage of tools available to newbs. The tools may not be as dirt cheap as they once were, but there's more reason for that than simply experienced woodworkers hoovering them up. For every old plane that an experienced woodworker snags, I'd venture that at least one other old plane ends up at the dump or recycling center.

[george wilson]

I have many carving tools. But,I am not a collector. I'm just a tool pig! Actually,as far as carving tools are concerned,there are very many different shapes and sweeps,so you can build up a pretty large number and not have duplicates. I don't have a large number of planes,or saws. Certainly not as many as some here do.

As I and others have mentioned,as we progress in our knowledge,we ought to gain a better understanding of tool quality,and get better tools as we learn. It's a natural part of learning any trade. Back when I started going to the big flea markets in Pennsylvania,tools like carving tools could be had for a dollar or two. That did encourage buying better tools. Not so these days! Any old junker is apt to be $30 to $40 or more. Last time I went,this guy had 10 or 12 ordinary American made gouges,with the handles painted red. He wanted $875.00! Hopefully,he's still trying to sell them.

[Jim Koepke]

Last time I went,this guy had 10 or 12 ordinary American made gouges,with the handles painted red. He wanted $875.00! Hopefully,he's still trying to sell them.

+1 on that. That is a "not for sale" price. Decent new ones don't cost that much.

jtk