Bridge City Toolworks

[David Ragan]

Am reading FWW 1995, a guy says that Bridge City is really good marking, measuring tools.

I have never really looked into it.

Anybody have experience with them?

[Mel Fulks]

In that same issue there is (probably) an ad for BC , check it for info on how great they really are! There stuff is good. Seem to have a lot of speciality limited edition things that are fancy and often collected more than put to use.

[Bruce Page]

IMO, they only make high quality products and price them accordingly.

[Art Mann]

I went to their website. Their machining is excellent and their tools (instruments?) are beautiful. Their products are not for me though. I can't imagine buying a shoulder plane that is more expensive than a new cabinet saw.

[Frederick Skelly]

I went to their website. Their machining is excellent and their tools (instruments?) are beautiful. Their products are not for me though. I can't imagine buying a shoulder plane that is more expensive than a new cabinet saw.

+1. Wish I was a Doctor. (sigh)

Edit: David Ragan - I apologize for any offence I caused you here. Please see my reply to your post in the Lumberyard. I never read your bio until 5 minutes ago. I did not know you are a Physician and did not intend this as a shot at you Sir. I apologize.

[Jim Matthews]

If your Doctor has a shoulder plane as an office implement,
get another Doctor.

[Derek Cohen]

Handplanes, among other tools, are essential as paperweights and art. The workbench makes a fine desk. Sometimes one has to acquire tools to do essential office repairs!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Kent A Bathurst]

If your Doctor has a shoulder plane as an office implement,
get another Doctor.

i wish you had told me 10 days ago...............

[Kent A Bathurst]

IMO, they only make high quality products and price them accordingly.

functional works of art, at elite prices

[Bruce Mack]

Check John's Blog at Bridge City for the pending block plane at an intended $300. Not knowing how he can do this, I expect the usual quality. As I now use mostly block planes for box making, this is a must have.

[Chuck Nickerson]

BCTW makes (or made) magnificent rulers: 6", 12", 24". They put a lot of thought into the length, thickness, and coloring of the tick marks.
In my shop they put Starrett and B&S to shame.

On the block plane front, if the new one is anything like the recent special edition block plane with the side fences for depth control, it will be great as well.

Standard disclosure: I have lots of their layout and measuring tools but none of their higher-priced planes.

[Jim Koepke]

Check John's Blog at Bridge City for the pending block plane at an intended $300. Not knowing how he can do this, I expect the usual quality. As I now use mostly block planes for box making, this is a must have.

Is that the one that comes with legs so pieces can be planed to a set width?

jtk

[Bruce Mack]

Yes. The blog shows the legs were an afterthought. I'm interested in it as a small free-hand tool that may be less hefty than the LN adjustable mouth block plane

[Frank Drew]

Back when I bought from them (mid and late Nineties?), their rules and straight edges were excellent quality and weren't particularly expensive; I don't remember them making hand tools such as planes at that time.

I highly recommend their small booklet Woodworker's Guide to Compound Miters. From their catalog: "This dandy reference contains all of the miter gage settings and saw blade tilt angles for table and radial arm saws. It is amazingly thorough and allows you to make compound angled projects with three to thirty–six sides."

For eight bucks it's a total bargain, and unless I'm mistaken the price hasn't budged a penny in twenty years!

[Frederick Skelly]

Check John's Blog at Bridge City for the pending block plane at an intended $300. Not knowing how he can do this, I expect the usual quality. As I now use mostly block planes for box making, this is a must have.

OP, please forgive a question that diverges from your post for a moment?

Hi Bruce & Chuck,
I can tell that their rules are really nice. Their price seems commensurate with their performance - accurate, easy to read, etc.

But I have an LN block plane - paid about $120 for it. It's a really great tool. In your experience, can an average user (me, not a virtuoso like George W) honestly tell the difference between the LN block plane and a $300 one from BCTW. I get that their planes are works of art. But is there a noticable performance difference? (Things like depth control, "legs", etc don't really factor-in for me personally because I've learned how to manage that without attachments, etc. Nothing wrong with them - I just don't need them.)

What's you folks' experience tell you?

Thanks,
Fred