So Many Tools

The lockdown and such has given me less time than ever but I did get through the added projects and never missed a step in keeping all of the regular work totally on track. That's thanks to everyone I share my life with at work. Thanks, Joseph, Izzy, Natalie, Mark and Will, though he had to self isolate for a period because of the virus.

Personally, I did film ten additional projects over and above the call of duty and then too totally for free. Some long sessions took me hours to both make, design but then, additionally, to film and review. One of them, the sandbox, ended up as a three hour long video but I have to say it is pretty good.

I took three days out this week to categorise tools. I would say I have ten percent done, sorted, boxed and totally identified as well as graded to condition. This is my archive and research material. Nothing to do with my user tools, student tools etc. I have decisions to make.

I have been amazed at just what came my way. I mean, do I need fifteen 16" handsaws? Well, actually, yes I do, but when my life working wood comes to an end they will go back into circulation I should think. I have cut planes in two, cannibsalised others to make one good one out of three rather than hold onto three bad ones, things like that. It's well worth taking a plate from one saw to restore another and vice versa if the pitting or bend cannot be fixed, don't you think?

Planes and saws, chisels and so on will not disappear from eBay any time soon. The UK was amazingly productive for centuries in its tool making and at the present rate of user use of all areas, there will be an excess for the next 500 years even if no other planes, saws, scrapers, hand routers, etc, etc are ever made. Did you realise that if every modern maker were to shut down there would be enough hand tools for us all for many centuries? None of them have come up with a new tool that doesn't exist for close to 250 years. We're safe and secure on that front. Bags of saws and planes out there. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling knowing everyone in the woodworking world will always be able to buy a Stanley #4, #5, and such, forever and for under £40 or so.