Remember the slogan Education, Education, Education, it sounds great doesn't it? But let's step forward 30 years and imagine if you will, a world where all youngsters followed the pied piper education system which brainwashed them academia is the only way to prosperity. A world where those educated young people couldn't bring themselves to fix a … [Read more...]
Norris Planes – Planes to Collect or Use?
Use a Norris? Am I mad, they are surely only a collectors item! Well let's examine some things about the market for these planes and try to compare them to plane makers of today before we make a judgement. Firstly there are models of the planes made by Norris that will be rare which collectors highly prize and desire which will take those planes … [Read more...]
Vintage Old Natural Honing stones and Oilstones
The main thing with oil stones is to maintain their flatness and this is best done on a regular basis through different means. Leaving them only makes the process less appealing and often results in stones not living out a full life. Man-made oil stones are generally best preserved with a steel diamond plate but as you can appreciate although … [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...]
12 Top Woodworking one liner Jokes, Tips & Quotes
On a lighter note, i'm sure you guys have more workshop jokes, tips & Quotes that could make this page more fulfilling but here's 12 one liners or ditty's for a starter to lighten your day. Of course any good one liners you have to share with us are welcome via our contact form. One mans rubbish is another mans gold and the same can apply to … [Read more...]
Tooltique News 2018
It's been a hectic year behind the scenes but not necessarily something that can be seen through the website, so I thought i'd take some time to update those who visit us online. Stock levels have always been an issue in the website due to productivity, this is because we refurbish our tools so they are truly fit for purpose, it's not just a … [Read more...]
10 Beginners tips – How to think like a tradesman
If you ever wondered why some tradesmen make things look so easy you are not alone but here are a 10 helpful tips to hopefully help you understand their approach when tackling projects. It's something that generally comes in time but when you grasp these pointers into your approach when undertaking projects they soon become second nature and … [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...]
