Why do we keep upgrading our tools?

[Frederick Skelly]

I see it in sharpening, somewhat in saws and a lot in planes. Heck, like I said - Im trying not to buy that LV Low Angle Jack because I already own a serviceable #5. Others have said similar things.

So why do we do it? Is it just simple minded monkey-ness that I want a new shiny toy? Thats not usually me, and Im certainly not a status-seeker. (You know the type. Theyre in every hobby. They come in and spend a ton just to tell you what they have.)

And I really dont want to collect planes just to have them. I dont have the space.

And unlike many of you, Im not planing raw lumber into useful boards. I have a lunchbox planer for that.

Im think fascinated with planes because of the flexibility they give me - with practice, I should be able to use a plane and handsaw shape nearly anything. But I have the basics. Why do I want/need more than one copy of a single size?

Just kind of a conversation I wanted to have and see your views/thoughts.

Fred

[Sean Hughto]

Seritonin.

[Ron Brese]

For the majority woodworking is not a full time profession, it's a time when we enjoy ourselves thru a craft. In other words it's recreation. Nice tools help people gain more enjoyment from the time they have to spend in their shop.

I used a cheap import lathe for a long time. I had the occasion to help a friend move his new lathe into his shop space and it occurred to me at that time there were much nicer tools for turning than what I had. I then sought out a 1966 Powermatic 90 lathe and spent a couple weeks doing a total restore on that machine. I use that machine on a professional basis but I still gain an incredible amount of enjoyment from using that tool. Do I need a Powermatic 90 to turn plane knobs. No I don't, however that machine allows me to work much more efficiently and accurately and I enjoy that immensely. I upgraded and reaped the rewards of doing so.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

For me the tools are part of the hobby. I enjoy trying new tools. Also as my skill increases I actually see the difference in high end tools where before I did not. I started a few years ago upgrading all my tools one ebay deal or free shipping offer at a time. I eventually want to retire to this. I see it as retirement savings.

Except the sharpening stuff, which is admittedly overkill to go as far as I have. I just enjoy sharpening and that goes back to childhood competitions with my brothers to see who can get their knives sharpest. There is no need for a 16000 grit stone except in shaving. It's just fun seeing how much of a mirror edge you can get. I won't pretend.

[Chris Hachet]

Seritonin.

I certainly have hit the point in saws and chisels that I need no more....my plane count has dropped from 20 plus to eleven....

Two planes more I think I want.....one more dedicated smoother and a Low angle jointer. But they are for specific needs in my shop.

I use a Sweetheart (the new version) #4 Stanley and and ECE Primus smooth plane-the Sweetheart I find myself using as a small jack often, and the ECE plane works well but it takes awhile to get set up properly and lacks mass. So I would like one more smoother as a dedicated final finish plane.

Likewise, I use a wooden jointer, which works great for face grain, but would like a jointer with a lower center of gravity for edge grain.

Other than that, it's pretty much lumber for me....although I think I would not mind a 14-12 Laguna bandsaw to upgrade my jet 14". But I think that would genuinely be a tool I would use, as I have built and restored lots of traditional furniture. Would like to try some Asian and contemporary designs, hence the eventual need for a better bandsaw.

[george wilson]

I think some of the other posts say it well: As we get into the work we learn more Then,as our knowledge of tools increase,and (hopefully,though some do not), our artistic vision gets better,we begin to see better and more pleasing tools than we previously had.

My focus in the 50's and 60's was so much on the instruments I was making(and rightly so!),I just used a Stanley block plane. Later on,I saw better tools and became more acquisitive. Now,I have WAYYYYY too many tools in spite of my present large shop. I have trouble finding places to put them. I like them too much to thin the herd out.

Nice lathe,Ron. I currently have a 1960's Oliver. Good,original paint,too. These crank-the -handle variable speed lathes,like ours, only go down to 500 RPM. I wish my Oliver would go slower,but it is 1 phase,and has a special motor. If I need to go really slow,I can use my 16" metal lathe,which will swing 24" in the gap,or I could use it outboard. I got a 20" General for the shop at work. It had electronics to control the speed,as well as the pulleys. A very nice lathe to use. But,someone scratched the top of the headstock,and I could not even get them to send a little can of touchup paint,or even answer my request. Very poor customer support for an expensive machine.

[Zach Dillinger]

I can't say I constantly upgrade my tools, but I do buy more old planes and chisels that I need. I justify it by saying that, someday, I might use up my planes and will need others. That is a lame excuse of course but, hey, it could happen. I think the real reason for a lot of guys belongs in a Highlander-like movie. There can only be one.

[Daniel Rode]

Perhaps if I had massive cash to burn, I would build a showroom and collect tools. I'm hardly immune to the lure of vintage tools or the new premium tools. However, I'm not today a collector. I'm just a hobby woodworker on a budget. The result is that I focus on finding tools that are primarily functional and that don't duplicate another tool unnecessarily.

In general, I don't do much upgrading. That may change when my kids finish college

[Maurice Ungaro]

Well, as a noob, I went for bargain basement deals. Some of them panned out, others, not so much. But that's just me I'm speaking for. Some of those tools I've passed on to others, and they're tickled with them. So, someone happily gets use out of them. When I tried some of the better makes out there, I was pleased with the noticeable performance improvement. Most of my new made better quality planes (not to name any names, but take my LEE VALLEY planes for example), were mostly purchased second hand, or on sale from LV. I've got a lot of vintage chisels, and some are my go to users, but when I had the chance to snap up a pre owned set of LN, I jumped on it. Haven't regretted it one bit. They are a dream (for me) to use.

Understand, I've been building my stock of hand tools over 14 years, which is nothing compared to guys like George (nobody compares to either his skill or amassed tools!), and others. Yet, it's given me time to understand what I appreciate, and what makes the hobby more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I recently picked up some vintage pig sticker mortise chisels from Ed Lebetkin. The 5/8" one has a lot of patina and character, and will need a fair amount of restoration. May end up as a 9/16" before it's over, but nothing chops a mortise like em.

[Jeffrey Martel]

I'm upgrading now because I bought mostly cheap crappy tools for a while, and they are getting to the point of needing replacement. Add into the fact that I'm just getting into hand tool work more and more, and I need to actually acquire tools in order to do certain things.

I don't think I'll ever get to the point of having multiples, because that just doesn't seem practical to me. My sharpening setup isn't exactly outrageous. I'm still using a piece of granite tile, sandpaper, and a honing guide.

That being said, in the last month or so, I've picked up a LV Low angle Smoother, a Stanley #8, and as of this morning, a Disston 12 crosscut. And those won't be the last.

[Brian Holcombe]

I don't replace/upgrade so much as I acquire more. Through improving my skillset in this area of woodworking (hand tools) I've developed an appreciation for what I like and I've moved away from what I dislike. This is just part of the process and I'm happy enough that I hit the nail on the head with my first few purchases and they've remained very useful to me.

Sometimes you just dont know what you're missing until you try it. My biggest folly has been chisels, but I live without much regret as I plan to hand them off to my father so that he can utilize more hand tools in his own shop. Same with my sharpening stones, I've had them for 15 years or so, so the upgrade is without much inner strife and they'll be passed along to my father who will use them them.

[Ron Brese]

Nice lathe,Ron. I currently have a 1960's Oliver. Good,original paint,too. These crank-the -handle variable speed lathes,like ours, only go down to 500 RPM.

At some point there won't be anymore machines to salvage parts from to keep these older Reeves drives going. I changed the drive on my lathe by adding a 3 phase motor which allowed me to increase the HP and vfd for electronic variable speed. The movable pulley was changed to a stationary pulley. The speed adjuster fills the hole in the headstock but is otherwise a non functional element.

Basically I upgraded to the type drive you would get on one of the better new lathes.

Ron

[bob blakeborough]

I just plain like nice things, and I am far from being considered well off. I would love to drive a Ferrari but I could never even remotely dream of affording one so I drive a basic regular cab base model Ford, but I CAN afford some nice Ferrari-like tools so I do buy them if I want them. It doesn't really make me a better woodworker but it does give me a smile handling such beautiful and functional pieces, so as long as I can afford them, I have no problem upgrading my less prestigious tools. I work hard, make sure my wife and kids have a roof over their heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, and a few small luxuries here and there. I wear $17.00 costco jeans, whatever socks and underwear are on sale and t-shirts that are 3 for $25. Tools is where I choose to throw around a little extra fun money just for me...

[Reinis Kanders]

Some buy hot tubs, I am about to buy fancy vise from LV

[glenn bradley]

If I can honestly say that I am being hindered by the tool and not by my skills, I would upgrade (if possible) rather than continue to be hindered.