If you love tools, I'm sure you've seen the lineup of off-the-shelf tools that Woodpecker's makes. They're beautiful and expensive and a pleasure to use. Their one-time tools (made-to-order for a limited time) usually take things up a notch. While I have a few small Woodpecker items in my shop (a ruler, a couple of saddle squares, some drill-press hold-downs), there have been times I've kinda scratched my head thinking that some of these tools are for folks that have a serious need to dispose of excess cash (a totally unfamiliar situation for me...), as there would seem to be almost equally effective, though less elegant ways to accomplish the task.
Today, however, I think their latest one-time tool takes it too far. If you've ever made dowels by whacking some hardwood through a hole drilled into a piece of hard steel like an old plane blade (with exit burr intact), you'll probably agree with me on this one! $400?!?!? Admittedly, the dies to created fluted dowels are pretty neat, but really...
It reminded me of the goofy April Fools' Day tools that Lee Valley/Veritas makes up every year. They had a $600 doweling jig a short time back that was equally as ridiculous. The trouble is, if you're a tool freak (like me) you WANT this stuff, even as goofy as it is! I'm just a sucker for machined surfaces and knurled brass!!
Well, it is a lot like Bridge City Tool Works. I got in on the ground floor, and joined the "founder's circle" of that company, and got automatic ordering of all of their new tools with my initials on them and the same serial number on each one. That was all well and good, but prices started going up, and they started making the same type of tool over and over again. I have about 6 or 7 different tri-squares of different sizes, some adjustable, some not. I finally got to a point where the tools were just way too expensive for me and really became more of a collector's item. Don't get me wrong, they are all beautiful, and very well made, but I really don't need 7 tri-squares. Plus, I learned the hard way, that you really can't sell this stuff. I bought the special upside down Japanese saw machine, that was supposed to be super accurate and super quiet, and I thought it would solve a lot of problems I had. I never was able to get it to cut square and straight, despite numerous calls to customer service, and several parts broke and were replaced. Finally, I tried to sell it through their forum, and nobody was interested. The Woodpecker's tools strike me the same way. I have bought one or two of them when they offer something that seems to be useful and fulfills a defined need I find in my woodworking, but I don't buy every one. A $3000 plane is not going to cut or work any better than a $300 plane, so what is the extra money for?
Yeah, Bridge City is into that class of tool too...
About that $3000 plane - I had the pleasure of test-driving a $3000 handmade brass, stainless steel and lignum vitae infill smoothing plane.
Oh.
My.
God...
I didn't want to put it down.
It was definitely a sublime experience, and unlike anything from Veritas or Lie-Nielsen. But I've only really used a smoother extensively for one project.
I know what you are saying, but I think what you feel is that those #3K planes have been sharpened and adjusted to a point of perfection. I am not taking anything away from those planes, as I have some pretty expensive custom planes (not that expensive!!) and they are a joy to use. However, once you start using them, and adjust them a little, maybe spruce up the edge a bit, and put the blade back in, it seems like the magic is gone. Not the fault of the plane, by any means, and totally my fault for not knowing how to adjust it so it sings. But still, the first time you take it out of the box and draw a shaving is like magic, and then it is all downhill, unless you really take the time to get to know how to use and tune it so it sings again. I guess I am saying that I am not willing to pay for that one time experience. I think if you know how to really make them sing, you can take a Lie Nielsen or other quality plane and get the same result. But those expensive ones do look beautiful!
" I think if you know how to really make them sing, you can take a Lie Nielsen or other quality plane and get the same result. But those expensive ones do look beautiful!"
Planes , like chisels, need to be properly sharpened. A finely tuned Stanley can also be a sublime experience, it just requires a little more head space adjustment.
I thought Lie Nielsen planes WERE expensive, worth it, yes, but my benchmark had been Stanley/Record/Bailey assemblies of parts from thrift shops and garage sales. I think I'd be afraid to try a plane that would make my LN planes seem cheap.
Set-up, sharpening, and adjustment determine how a plane cuts, of course, but the siren song of really fine tools can be irresisible. $3K for a plane, for me however, is an impossibility, nor a temptation.
Mark J Tierney wrote:$3K for a plane, for me however, is an impossibility, nor a temptation.
Amen, bro'
You'd have to be a money-is-no-object type who likes to indulge oneself with the "finer things" to buy one. Woodpeckers stuff on steroids.
While my favorite plane is a L-N bevel-up jack, I ,have four old Stanleys that are used regularly and cut real sweet, thank you...but that infill was really something! !
