I will always remember my father giving me an Eastwing hammer for my 18th birthday, he wasn’t flush with cash and it was probably from his stock but it’s one present I used throughout my career. Ironically this is my most valuable tool not in monetary terms but nostalgically and it reminded me of that point in time. This same hammer sits … [Read more...]
Vintage Stanley Tools
The old Stanley tools we find nowadays are in far worse condition than when my father used to find them, i'm not talking about more rust here but rather the way they have been treated by their users. Back in the day when my father first formed Tooltique the tools seemed to be processed far quicker than they are today. The Stanley tools seemed to … [Read more...]
The Hidden Benefits Of An Old Carpenters Tool Chest
There was a time back in the day when all new apprentices were assigned to make their own toolboxes and tool chests primarily to give them experience on working on their own projects. But why were they so important? Well firstly what most people don't realise is that those wooden boxes were not just for straight forward storage. They created … [Read more...]
Doing A Good Job And Pricing It Properly.
Doing a good job has to be the first priority regardless of how poorly you priced a job to win it. Your good reputation demands this like every good craftsman. Life does throw dud jobs at us all from time to time (you should see some of the tools we get in) but it's all part of the game and as time goes by and your good reputation builds those 'dog … [Read more...]
A time for Haggling is one when it deserves merit
Haggling has its place but one should consider where and where it should apply, doing so in the wrong places can be deemed seriously offensive. Haggling should be confined to car boot sales, holidays but often is applied with antiques, 'What's your best price' is the term often used. However when it becomes offensive is when real human effort has … [Read more...]
The Stanley No: 4 or Equivalent True Value
I wanted to cover the most common and arguably the most important tool in a woodworkers kit and try to explain how to value these when the opportunity arises. The same equation and rules should apply to other sized planes in the range. Prices are current 2018. Below shows how we value a particular tool such a Record or Stanley No: 4 prior to … [Read more...]
Refurbishing old Planes just isn’t about polishing them
It's something I felt needed to be addressed after seeing some gleaming polished planes for use online that buyers are bidding extremely high prices for. This subject is by no means being raised because it has affected our sales but it's hard to see people being fooled by poor practices. Like anything in life there are always poor imitations … [Read more...]
Upgrading Your New Tool kit with Our Old Tools
When building up your tool kit it's perfectly normal to buy some new low quality tools just to get started but as your skills grow you will soon realise those so called bargains will eventually limit your capabilities. The Steel in most new tools are far inferior quality and the best makers today are expensive, not necessarily for what they are but … [Read more...]
A craftsman’s relationship with his tools
In this article I hope to explain the understanding of the deep relationship between craftsmen and the tools they use and have acquired during their lives. Those who aspire to be like them will also hopefully learn something in the process whilst others who are less familiar with using tools can at least appreciate what tools mean to them. A … [Read more...]
Vintage Woodworking Moulding Planes – Underrated and Under Valued
Warning, this article could take up a chunk of your evening and cause you serious enlightenment. In the new year we will be adding a more comprehensive selection of wooden planes to the website which often get overlooked by woodworkers but I wanted to show a collaboration of videos out there for a more in-depth look at what these old tools … [Read more...]
