Quick report from Berea

[John Dykes]

Few thoughts -

Seeing Michel Auriou hand stitch rasps was certainly a treat. He has an interesting contraption that holds the metal blank down by leather straps. He starts at one corner w/ a "punch" and works up diagonally along the blank at 45ish degrees. Would like to buy one, but would have no idea on how to use it....

I'm the quiet type that doesn't yack it up much with the leaders of this craft, but I'll tell you - Rob Lee is genuine. He does care. A bit strange in this age....

I'd give my right arm to work under Frank Klausz. He's one... blunt fellow. "You can't pay me enough to put plywood in my house! You build a birdhouse out of plywood, a bird won't live it it! I give you tirty dollars right here to buy real wood!!"

But I tell you who struck me, a fella I've not heard of before - Don Weber. He has the hands of a craftsman, and a heart of a teacher. If I thought I ever could be talented enough to make chairs, I'd learn from him. Amazing man.

Lastly, Mike W. - clad in overalls and a never ending grin - is just one of those guys who'd mow your grass if you were laid up, or give the shirt off of his back. He's just one of those guys. Kinda guy to trust your kids to.

Yet something struck me today... and perhaps because I'm such a hack. We are so tool focused. Tools, tools, tools. Reviews, specs, tolerances. Magazines, blogs, boards - all tools. And so little technique, so little application. Do we focus on the tools in a way to pretend we are better at technique?

Eh - self condemnation only... just a thought.

With warm regards from Lex, KY.

- jbd in Denver

[Jim Koepke]

John,
Interesting observations and comments.
I had similar feelings when attending a tool show in Oakland CA.

It was my thought that these folks are a lot like my father. He did not like the idea of working for someone else and not being able to be the talented and friendly person he was. So he started his own business.

In a way, it seems these folks wanted to work for honest enterprises and not being able to find any to their liking, started their own.

We are fortunate to have such a friendly industry to supply us with our needs to pursue our enjoyment.

jim

[Michael Faurot]

Yet something struck me today... and perhaps because I'm such a hack. We are so tool focused. Tools, tools, tools. Reviews, specs, tolerances. Magazines, blogs, boards - all tools.

I've had similar thoughts myself. What's the fascination with tools versus working wood? Ultimately I just gave in to the dark side of my nature and accepted the fact that I like tools. I like looking at the catalogs, I like talking about them, I like making them and most of all I like using them to make things. For me at least, there is no woodworking with out the tools.

[Bill Satko]

Few thoughts -


Lastly, Mike W. - clad in overalls and a never ending grin - is just one of those guys who'd mow your grass if you were laid up, or give the shirt off of his back. He's just one of those guys. Kinda guy to trust your kids to.

John, I can confirm your impressions of Mike W. I took a sharpening class (chisels and plane blades) from him at the Portland Woodcraft store a couple years back. This was when he was first getting his business going and actually had the time to do something like this. He impressed me as being a very unpretentious person with a great deal of knowledge.

[Wilbur Pan]

Yet something struck me today... and perhaps because I'm such a hack. We are so tool focused. Tools, tools, tools. Reviews, specs, tolerances. Magazines, blogs, boards - all tools. And so little technique, so little application. Do we focus on the tools in a way to pretend we are better at technique?

Before I might have agreed. Now, my answer is an emphatic "No".

There was an interesting comment that I heard at the Furniture Design session at the end of WIA. Basically, tools serve many purposes. They help us work wood, which is the most important thing, of course. But a secondary purpose that tools serve is to make us feel good about being in our shop, simply by being aesthetically pleasing, which can serve as a source for inspiration for our projects.

So go ahead and get that infill plane! Even if you find that it doesn't leave a surface that is any better than a tuned up Bailey eBay special, if it will make you feel good having it, that's all the justification you need.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Do we focus on the tools in a way to pretend we are better at technique?

John,
Let me premise this by saying that I am not picking on modern tool manufacturers as I own several higher end modern tools and I am glad that these folks are around to keep the interest in hand tools and their virtues alive. Without the modern manufacturers, the vintage market wouldn't be as good as it is today either and in addition, events like WIA wouldn't be possible without their sponsorship.

With the disclaimer out of the way, I think the focus on tools has a lot to do with the nature of the craft for most folks today and the ability of good marketing departments. What I mean is that the vast majority of people working wood today are hobbiests, weekend warriors, what have you. Most are self taught as opposed to the days of the apprenticeship program. One of the first skills an apprentice would learn was how to sharpen and tune his (or more likely his master's) tools before he ever touched a piece of timber. The problem today is that most people have no one to teach them how to do this. This leads to recommendations from other frustrated self taught weekend warriors to just go and buy the expensive, premium, aircraft grade super tuned thing-a-ma-gig because all you need to do is open the box and put it to work.

Modern day tool manufacturers have capitalized on the fact that people are willing to spend big bucks for a tool that is already tuned up (and pretty to boot) and have manufactured them this way and marketed to those people very effectively. It's very easy to convince someone frustrated with tuning an old clunker (or with few tool choices to begin with) that a new tool is better when it's already tuned up. Come use my $1 wooden try plane and I may be able to convince you that vintage woodies are way better than those vintage metal planes . In reality, it doesn't matter whether you prefer vintage wood, vintage metal or new (wood or metal). A properly tuned tool will outperform an untuned (is that a word ) tool every time. However, the weekend warrior doesn't have time to constantly futz with tools, there's hardly enough time to build stuff with them.

A good example of this is saws. I'm not picking on modern day saw makers as I have made two myself now and I certainly couldn't make my living doing it like these folks do. Personally, I would gladly spend the money on Mike W's Kenyon tenon saw if I had it at the moment because these simply aren't available on the used market. But the modern saws aren't all that much better than a properly cleaned, sharpened and tuned vintage saw. The difference is, the process of sharpening, setting and tuning has already been done by a skilled hand. I'm sure a vintage saw cleaned, sharpened, set and tuned by one of these shops would perform the same as one of their new saws. It may not be as pretty though .

Advertising is a powerful thing, in all markets, not just hand tools. Show a master build a masterpiece with top of the line tools and as a result, sell more of those tools. There's a reason Delta is probably the best selling stationary machinery, even though the logo was always covered up in a very famous woodworking program on PBS. They knew what they were doing when they sponsored the show. The fact is though that a master could build the same masterpiece with far inferior tools. That is what makes them a true master.

My point is (finally) that I think a lot of people are enamored with tools, and especially high priced premium tools, because they think (perhaps even subconsciously) that a better tool will make them do better work. Others just like tools, and good for them. All of these folks keep our beloved tool makers in business so they can provide us with their wares. However, as you alluded to in your question, it's not the tools that make the craftsman, it's the craftsman that makes the tools.

[Hank Knight]

One of the interesting themes that came out of the WIA program came from the tool makers. All of them, from TLN to Rob Lee, were actively soliciting input from all the woodworkers there about what they did and didn't like about the tools. It gave everyone an opportunity to have some input into what the toolmakers think about the tools they make and sell. I heard Rob Lee say at least a half dozen times that our imput is what feeds his business. If he can make tools we like and will use, his business will continue to thrive [or something to that effect]. And others said the same thing. I thought this was one of the high spots of the whole WIA conference, and I think we will see the fruits of this conference in the products that are developed in the future. So, for all of us tool nuts, this was our day in the sun.

Hank

[mike holden]

Hank,
You are spot on regarding the tool makers listening to us. I stopped at the Clark & Williams booth, and Larry Williams read my nametag, and said: "you post as mbholden, dont you?" It amazed me that he paid attention closely enough to tie my name to my "handle" even though it was nowhere on the name tag. ( I use mbholden on most of the forums I frequent)
Mike

[Zahid Naqvi]

John, thanks for the update. I'd love to go to one of these one day, but they are almost always just beyond reach. Then again I have not even visited with C&W who are in-state, so I guess it's just my laziness.

[Dave Jeske]

John,
I'm sure a vintage saw cleaned, sharpened, set and tuned by one of these shops would perform the same as one of their new saws. It may not be as pretty though .

One of the many fun parts of the conference for me (since I could not easily attend the talks) was a quick informal DT saw shoot-out at Adam's bench. Adam had a number of different new dovetail saws set out to test and asked which one we thought was "best". I happened to have brought my antique Groves DT saw to the conference. It had been sharpened by an experienced saw sharpener years ago but is just getting a bit dull now. I tried out all of the saws and then picked up mine and gave it a try. Even a bit dull, it cut like a dream and I still love it. It is not pretty but it is special. However, my beautiful Mike Wenzloff African Blackwood handled DT saw also cuts like a dream and it gives me tingles every time I pick it up. I have not seen a more beautiful saw. I confess, I am just a tool junkie. Quality is what is important; old or new.
Dave Jeske
Blue Spruce Toolworks, LLC

[John Dykes]

Well... I think it struck me when my wife picked me up at the airport this afternoon in Denver. She asked me, "How was it? Was it worth it?" My first thought was - "Not really." But I didn't want to be griped at for spending so much money on it.

On the plane, I wrote 4 pages of thoughts - class by class - but that was more to pass the time than to post. I'll try to summarize.

I was excited and hopeful to attend, perhaps my expectations were too high, or perhaps misguided. I happily paid my money thinking it would be 3 days of experts applying tools to wood. I would observe and see technique. Very little of that.

Most of my sessions could have been presented more efficiently and for less cost in a magazine:

- Modern tool tolerances
- Western Saws
- Western Chisels
- Hand tool shop (Cherubini handed out his recent Pop Woodworking article and went through it for 2 hours)
- Setup and use of Japanese chisels (Use? A chisel never touched wood).

I kind of gave up on my schedule and crashed all of Frank Klausz's sessions. He was using tools in his and seemed to want to teach what he was doing. Though the basic dovetailing class was the same as the dovetailing casework class.

In short, no - if I had it to do over, I wouldn't have gone... Please don't take my guild card away.

So to be fair, here's my 2 cents to make it better. I can't afford training, or classes, or short courses with David Charlesworth. To learn, I read - and try - and read - and try - and read - and try. I come to you, and ask - and read some more. Fellas - that's a tough way to learn. I've already read about modern plane tolerances, I've already read about tpi and fleam, I've already read about what a western chisel looks like, I've already read Adam's workshop article, I've read how to sharpen a chisel (Japanese or otherwise)...

WIA got some of the best minds and talent in the world of hand tools - and gave me very little.

Don't tell me about modern tool tolerances once again, I've read about it. SHOW me what that means. Apply it to wood - and not just a basic application, something interesting. Show me the effect of tolerances. Show me a unique operation.

Was there even a saw at the saw discussion? We can read about that... You have Mike W - THE premier saw maker and THINKER. Give him some saws, give him some wood - give him a scenario. Let me learn by watching a master of the saw. I'd give my eye teeth to watch and learn from Mike W for two hours....

Same with Adam C. Don't show me several inventories of tool chests from 1780. Adam is one of the greatest of our time. Let me see his hands and see him work through problems with a chisel. No reflection on Adam, perhaps one of the best presenters there....

The hand tool shop - hmmm. Not even sure where they could have taken that one. Please don't give me an article to a magazine I already bought...

Japanese Chisel setup and use was just as disappointing. The chisel was never used...

Positives? The opposite of above.
Frank Klausz - the master - teaching with his hands, explaining with his words.
Mike Dunbar - the master - teaching with his hands, explaining with his words.
Don Weber - only had a booth. But taught - for hour, after hour, after hour. With his hands, with his words - showing all comers what he was doing. That is what I paid for!

No, I was too late to get any workshops, but you don't need a workshop to teach. I watch DVDs over and over and over - picking up any nugget I can. This would have been a great opportunity for a similar experience. Again - Mike W on sawing technique, application, and problem solving in pseudo DVD format while fielding questions from the group.

The logistics were very well done. The sessions were lacking... Eh - few other issues, but I've probably dug a deep enough pit. All in all - not what I was hoping for...

Respectfully,
jbd back in Denver

[John Dykes]

Which reminds me, if someone is looking to buy the LN bench chisels - don't. If you are seriously considering that range of chisel - you owe it to yourself to look at the new Blue Spruce line. Very well could be the finest hand tool I've held \ used. I didn't see them on the website, but they're worth asking about....

- jbd in Denver

[Greg Salata]

Which reminds me, if someone is looking to buy the LN bench chisels - don't. If you are seriously considering that range of chisel - you owe it to yourself to look at the new Blue Spruce line. Very well could be the finest hand tool I've held \ used. I didn't see them on the website, but they're worth asking about....

- jbd in Denver

On this point I agree with you completely.
They are beautiful chisels.

[Alan DuBoff]

I think John gives a realistic view of a conference like WIA, but it would seem the press and folks running the conference did a fair amount to build expectations.

It seems to me that going somewhere like Mehr, Rogowski, Boggs, or similar would be time well spent to take a week long class that you could have hands on instruction, as you point out as something lacking some John, to immerse ones self in.

For that matter, a friend was telling me recently that he took some classes at one of the local colleges that Jay Van Arsdale teaches for $42 for ~10 classes. Jay is one of the authorities in Japanese Joinery, Shoji, has authored a couple books, has taught for about 20+ years...anyone in the Bay area should consider taking Jay's classes, I believe at Lane Community College.

Speaking for myself, I like to take vacation and just spend it at home working on something. Probably gonna be doing just that soon with the holidays coming up.

You say you learn by reading John, but sometimes it really helps to try and apply all that you've read, otherwise one will never gain the actual skill. You can do it in your own shop. This is not to imply that you are the only one with this armchair dilemma, I think it's common and especially with the internet, and I know I've fallen into it from time to time...

I 'spose one of the attractions of meeting people face to face is that we collaborate with one another a lot and never see each other. We miss a dimension...and so does your woodworking if you only read about it. At least I know that mine does...from time to time.

I didn't get to go to WIA, but I did get to spend some time in the garage making a slotting fixture for my mill, to slot handsaw backs. Maybe I'll post a thread on making handsaws, part II...

[Jack Camillo]

JBD,
Thanks for giving your honest read-out. Regarding with your wife when you didn't want to get griped at for spending so much, you know you don't have to worry about that here. I didn't get to go - the straw that broke the camel's back was the distance from any working airport to the location, which would have necessitated a rental car on top of everything else. Maybe it's good I drew the line. Would have liked to meet Rob Lee and Mike Wenzloff, for example, but I think I knew the classes would potentially be disappointing for more experienced woodworkers looking to reach the next level, whatever that might be. Though I'm sure I would have learned something, not sure it would have been worth the travel expense.