What kind of tools do you keep spares of

[James Pallas]

I tend to have more than one of some tools that I consider spares. At what point do you become a collector. Or at what point do you become the dreaded hording. I believe a collector is someone who displays their tools for others to see. I believe that if you keep drawers full of 1/2" chisels or something like that you may be leaning towards hording. Not saying anything is bad just wondering. I found myself with three 3/8 bench chisels two of which I haven't touched in a year. I then started agonizing about parting with my "spares". Do you do the same.
Jim

[george wilson]

I am a registered tool pig!!!!

[Rob Luter]

I am a registered tool pig!!!!

I like your style!

My affliction is modest. I have four #80 scrapers because they're pretty handy and if they get dull I just want to grab a sharp one. I have a #81 too. I have four low angle block planes (#65 and three #60 1/2) for the same reason. I just divested myself of a dozen saws and about the same number of bench planes because they were redundant to a fault. A dozen or so more block planes and the herd will be properly thinned.

[James Pallas]

I am a registered tool pig!!!!

George you wear so many hats you can claim an excuse for shear number of tools required
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

I have spare augers. Some are not in as good of shape as my best set. They are used when boring into the unknown.

I have multiple sets of chisels. One is a short set or butt chisels. There is another set ground to a low angle mostly for paring. Then there are some firmer chisels (square sides) for heavier work. Then just a bunch of random chisels for various reasons. Then there are some mortise chisels. My gouges also tend to have a few extras in some sizes. Kind of hard to remember what is back at home when one is found out in the wild.

Among my planes some strange passion afflicted me when it came to a few models of them. There are a few sizes and types with more than are really needed. Someday when something strikes my fancy they will be sold to raise money to acquire the new desire.

jtk

[Dave Beauchesne]

While not registered at the same outfit as George, I too have a problem.

Woodworking tools - why have only one when two or three ( or more ) are better?? I always say I will sell my extras, and fully intend to - in my defence, I enjoy more than anything passing them on for what I paid for the tool, or more often than not, for no cost to young woodworkers, after helping them tune it up. That to me is priceless.

The same goes for tools of my trade - as a HVAC mechanic, I have a complete set of meters, wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, etc., at work, and duplicates and often triplicates abound in my shop at home.

I tell my understanding wife: ' better than smoking, drinking and cavorting around '.

Dave B

[Bill Houghton]

I try to limit myself to two of any given thing - two Bailey-style smoothing planes, for instance. My logic is, if I drop one on the floor and break it, I'll have another. I make the occasional exception, but am really trying to hold to that. Really. Trying.

[Phil Mueller]

I have only been into handwork for a few years now and am already accumulating drawers and shelves of "extras". Most a result of upgrades and estate sales. I just can't bear to think of an unsold tool going into the trash...so home with me it goes. Problem becomes what to do with them. I enjoy rehabbing the tools, but most are certainly not worth selling and I haven't found a place to donate (which I certainly would like to do). So I'll just save them, until I find a worthy cause.

[Evan Ryan]

I had so much fun assembling my set of user tools that I bought a few more than I needed. I bought doubles because they looked like upgrades and sometimes I bought tools because it was just exciting to find old woodworking tools for sale.

I've been using a 60's Stanley #5 for a few years. I'm proud that I got it working, but I went ahead and bought a type 11 because of the hype. I'm looking forward to fixing up the type 11 and seeing if I prefer it to my 60's model. When I'm done with that A/B test I'll probably keep both. Unless that type 11 completely blows my mind.

Getting some of my tools into working shape was tough and recognizing quality tools and a good deal was also tough, so I decided not to become a collector or reseller, because at this point that would take too much time away from my woodworking.

The tools that I'm not going to fix up or are redundant but are currently living in my basement will either go to work when I have time to fix them up or they will go.

In the "none of the above" category: I have one artistic assemblage of non-working tools in my house.

[Stew Denton]

Hi all,

Mostly spares I don't need. I have too many chisels, hand saws, and planes. I have spares of chisels and planes that need sharpened. (You can't have too many dull chisels can you? I would guess that I have 3 or 4 1/2" chisels, only 1 or 2 of which are really sharp, etc. Also most of my plane irons could stand a good sprucing up too, and only 3 or 4 or maybe a few more are really sharp.)

I use only 4 or 5 hand saws most of the time, the rest are in various stages of needing restoration and sharpening.

Worst care for me, though, is power drills. I have too many replacements for my two favorites that had the triggers go out a couple of years ago. I like the older style that has a pistol grip at the rear of the drill instead of the "T" handle, 1/2" VSR size, very low RPM, and the small frame. They are hard to find in good shape so I have too many. I've looked, you can't get the trigger parts any more for the drills I like.

Stew

[Allan Speers]

Saws.

Esp because I use Japanese saws. Sharpening them is not for the feint of heart. I send mine out, so .........

[Luke Dupont]

Interesting topic!

A quick preface for my answer: I move around a lot, and woodworking is not my primary passion or hobby, but merely one of far too many interests that I want to engage in on and off. So, I want to keep my tools to a minimum without redundancy, as long as everything functions and fits my work environment. However, in trying to find the tools that suit my needs and decide on this ideal "minimalist" set, I've bought a few redundancies whilst still neglecting a lot of conveniences.

My redundancies are mainly in the area of chisels, planes, and... oh yes... sharpening stones.

I'm actually entertaining the possibility of moving to/working in Japan, where I'd likely be living in an apartment and definitely can't make a lot of noise; nor can I have a large western-style bench to work on. Should that come through, I'll likely go with a minimalist set of Japanese tools suited to small projects and working on the floor. So, fine-toothed douzuki and kataba, a few kanna, chisels (which I'll have to be very careful about striking, or even use solely for paring, if I'm on the second floor. Not sure how that will work), card scrapers, a spokeshave, gimlets, and a few auger bits would be about the extent of tools in my future for a while, given that scenario. For sharpening, I'll probably just take a few of my oil stones over and a diamond stone for maintenance.

While I'm at it, I should reduce my wardrobe to like a week's worth of business and casual wear.

Minimalism is difficult to commit to, but it's really liberating and refreshing in my experience. I'd much rather have a few nice things that cover a wide array of needs than every little convenience that I could possibly want but can never find or manage with all the clutter. However, this does conflict with my nature of wanting to explore everything and finding what works best for me personally. I guess the key is just to be adamant about getting rid of the non-essential once you've explored and identified the things that are best suited to your needs.

I imagine if I were permanently settled into a large house, or were a joiner by trade, and not just a hobbyist living in apartments and moving about, this might be a little different, but I suspect that it's still a healthy mentality to have to reduce redundancy and clutter/unnecessary items.

[Prashun Patel]

measuring and marking stuff. The harem can never be too large for me here.

I am slowly getting rid of planes and chisels though. I acquired too many looking to the tool to improve my work.

[john zulu]

Good question....... I work in 2 locations currently. I have many clamps so far. Quick C clamps are my favourite tool by far.

[Jim Koepke]

I forgot to mention braces. For some reason they seemed to find me at flea markets and estates sales all the time. Not sure why, must have been a price I couldn't refuse, but a lot of them followed me home. Now days it has to be something special to even get me to look at one when I am out on a rust hunt.

Saws are another thing that seems to have accumulated in my shop.

jtk