LN Denver

[Brad Maudlin]

Any Creekers plan on attending the recently announced tool event at Red Rocks Community College next Friday and Saturday April 17 & 18? I have never been to one. What can a guy expect, aside from making the billfold a little lighter?

[Tom Henderson2]

I attended the LN handtool events in California earlier this year. They were both excellent.

LN will have a couple copies of *all* of their tools out where you can pick them up and play with them. Wood and a bench w/vice are available if you want to test drive them. All that I tried were nicely sharp, etc.

Deneb Puchalski will be holding court at a bench in the middle of the room, so people can crowd around. He'll demonstrate just about anything you ask him to; he will likely start with generic bench plane usage but he will do whatever you ask. He is good with the tools and good with people too.

They will also have a sharpening station set up with "student" workstations including stones, etc. So if you are new to sharpening they walk you through the entire process. If you know how to sharpen, it may be below your expertise, but if you are a newb it is an outstanding learning opportunity.

They will have an order desk, and some inventory to sell. But there is *no* sales hype whatsoever. They are not discounting, although they were giving free shipping on stuff that was not on hand.

They will likely also have other vendors, but that mix changes at each event. Kevin Drake and the Wentzloff's were at both California events; not sure who might be at the Colorado event.

I really enjoyed both shows. THe admission is free, and I really enjoyed holding and test driving a number of their tools, especially some of the less-common ones like scraper planes, floats, etc.

All in all, it is a very low-key, low-hype event; more like you might expect at a local woodworkers club than the usual sales-oriented tool "show".

Expect to spend an hour or two; probably not much more than that.

Hope this helps.

-Tom H.

[Joel Goodman]

I attended a So California event and I learned a lot. Not only can you test drive anything in the LN catalog but you can ask questions and pick up a lot of tips. Deneb was there and has a lot of information. A guy came over to Mike Wenzloff with a backsaw (not one of Mike's) that needed sharpening and Mike gave him a 1 on 1 lesson!

[Gary Benson]

Brad, my friend Tom and I plan on going Friday in the early afternoon. How often can you hang around and use all kinds of great tools, and chat with the people who designed and make them? I'm planning on the wallet cleansing as well.
Gary

[Brad Maudlin]

Gentlemen: Thanks for the input. Sounds like it will be time well spent. Looking forward to it.

[Jim Koepke]

Went to one in Oakland California when I lived down that way a year or so ago. If one comes to Portland or maybe Seattle, I plan to go. There is a lot one can learn and lots one can dream of owning. For some one who wants to give tools on their wish list a test drive, it is a must go event.

In Oakland, they have been holding them at The Crucible which is an artist school/workshop and they put on some other non-wood working demonstrations that were also very interesting.

jim