Happy woodworkers
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It
There is proof all around us that old tools have stood the test of time but it’s important to stress that they have survived in various degrees of condition and wear that often needs to be rectified to bring them back to their best.
The sad fact is many tools can fall into a multitude of hands or simply get mistreated for a number of reasons. I’ve seen old tools that have fallen into decline simply due to the owner finding it harder to maintain them through old age and poor eyesight or just because they were forgotten about for many years whereby the dreaded rust and worm get to them. Other tools simply get used by relatives for the wrong purpose, screwdrivers, chisels used for stirring paint, and hand saws that look to have been tested against masonry, etc.
There are, as in all trades some folks that are just heavy-handed and could destroy armour plating if they got a chance!
May I also stress that there are many amateur dealers out there that think making tools shiny does something magical to them, this usually only induces more wear if their understanding of how they work is minimal. I should imagine many tools have been through many of these types of people, many times and are still waiting for the correct treatment they require if it’s still possible.
There was a time:
Where CA glue and sanding tearout played NO role in woodworking, where things like joints had to be exact, I guess those working to these standards find it frustrating that the wider public doesn’t recognise these facts. Sure it’s always the sign of a good tradesman to get over problems but it isn’t a norm for those who show a passion for their craft, working with the best materials they can find, selected by experience and knowledge in this part of the subject of their craft.
High-quality tools play a significant role in assisting the crafts person which cannot be understated but ultimately these determine how easily or difficult that person achieves desired results.
Specific tools for the correct job:
There is always the correct tool for any given job and it can work two ways whereby there may not need to use your best tools, likewise using a tool of inferior quality can have a significant effect when something better is required. This, I would say, is where edge tools are concerned and whether something less subtle is required, for example when cutting ply or general carpentry where power tools play a greater role. I guess cheap and cheerful new and used tools where time and effort haven’t been applied come into play. Some building work would be another example of this or where the conditions aren’t always suitable for those refined tools.
How we estimate unrefurbished user-grade tools:
I see it all the time online where user tools are being sold online for similar prices as those we have on our website but I cannot emphasise the difference enough, as this is huge! I call these ‘RAW old tools’ with the potential of maybe becoming something special. Those buying these RAW old tools with potential do so with risks attached and the prices paid for them should reflect this. I’ve spoken to many customers who simply can’t understand why other people pay our prices or higher for these RAW tools! Yes, this is baffling, to say the least, but unfortunately causes price issues when buying RAW tools.
Some tools will need additional parts but most will require a professional hand and lots of effort to get them right. Yes, knowing how to do this helps with future maintenance but let’s be honest, it’s far easier to maintain something that’s good than correcting a hand tool that may have been abused.
Many learn from the experience of using us.
Whilst some just don’t learn, they look and wonder!
We stand for quality, and we are proud of it.
Many of the tools we present on this website have had considerable time invested in them. Our pursuit to continually improve standards has driven quality and the end product.
Our experience is second to none having refined thousands of hand tools to a standard that performs a role each tool was designed to do.
Our reputation is equally impressive having sent thousands of tools to the four corners of the world without issues. No one is perfect but we do have perfect intentions and rarely get things wrong, but if we did then it’s resolved quickly with minimal fuss. I guess that because we truly know what we are doing!
Once completed we are sure these tools meet the very best of standards using our own high-grade tools that ensure accuracy is consistently achieved.
Our honest hardworking approach has helped many craftspeople and it’s our priority to serve new and existing customers with something they can rely on!
Over the years we have quietly gone about our tool business and built it through word of mouth from customers’ positive experiences. But we are not just another vintage tool dealer! Please do not compare what we do here with others.
Ask yourself this question, we can do what everyone else does when it comes to selling old tools, but why don’t we do this? Especially when only 10% of our stock is online!
Answer: We could do that easily but ‘that would mean we would have to drop our standards!
Now that doesn’t sound like a good idea!
