A little luck.

[Derek Cohen]

I was away visiting my folks for two weeks - dad has just turned 95 - and returned yesterday to find a box waiting for me on the hall table.

During my absence the Australian Wood Review (magazine) had judged their handtool competition and I won a prize (4th I think) for my "Brace and Driver in a Toolbox". It even made the cover of the recent edition, which featured the winning tools. To say I was surprised would be an understatement!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Drills/AWR%20Brace/AWRcoverpage.jpg

There were some really exellent entries. I think I got a little lucky.

For those that did not see my entry ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Drills/AWR%20Brace/Bracebox-frontview5.jpg

This is what I won ... a set of Colen Clenton tools - 8" square, 45 degree square, and cutting gauge. All Rose Sheoak (one of my favourite timbers) and from the doyen of marking tool makers. I am a very lucky guy!

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Marking%20and%20Measuring/ColenClentonprize1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Sean Hughto]

Congratulations. Well deserved.

[Archie England]

How fitting for recognition of the design and quality of your work. Many congratulations for this achievement (even perhaps without luck).

Thanks for all that you contribute the the woodworking community. I look forward to reading your posts and studying your designs and creations--in the hope that one day, before age overtakes me, I might grow in ability to accomplish such works.

Enjoy the new tools.

Archie

[RickT Harding]

Awesome and congrats!

[Richard Dooling]

From what I've seen here and on your site, luck had very little to do with this. Well deserved indeed!

[Marco Cecala]

I have viewed with interest your postings and offerings on your web site. You are a fine craftsman and able to convey your expertise in a comprehensive manner. I aspire to produce work like yours someday.

[Jim Koepke]

I think the others were lucky you didn't take first.
Always enjoy you posts, please keep them coming.

jim

[Garth Keel]

From the pics on the mag cover, yours is far better than the others. As always I look forward top your posts; always interesting and beautiful work. Regards, garth

[Dave Anderson NH]

Congratulations Derek. Well deserved. Your tool and project output is prodigous for a guy who still works for a living too.

[Chuck Nickerson]

Derek - if you use this brace, I have a question. Is the lack of a rotating sleeve on the handle an issue for you? On Ebay I continually pass on older braces that lack a sleeve. I'm wondering if passing on them is a mistake.

[Don Orr]

That'll do nicely Derek. Strong work.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Way to go, Derek.

Pam

[Chris Padilla]

Very cool!! A big congrats!

[John Keeton]

Derek, I doubt luck had much to do with this! Your woodworking skills and level of knowledge are well worthy of any acclaim received. Congrats!

[Danny Thompson]

Yet another bit of inspiring work, Derek! That Sheoak is beautiful, and the toolset is a nice reward. Congratulations.

[Robert Rozaieski]

Congratulations Derek! It's very well deserved!

[Jamie Cowan]

Good on ya! Congratulations, that brace looks great. Make sure you frame that magazine cover for posterity.

[Jim Kountz]

Congrats!! Thats got to be a great feeling!!

[Philip Duffy]

Derek, BZ! Phil

[Mike Henderson]

Congratulations, Derek. Your win is well deserved.

Mike

[Derek Cohen]

Thank you all for your very kind words.

Having posted a picture of the brace here some months ago for inspection, I thought this news might bring a little closure for those that wondered what happened in the competition.

AWR magazine would not release the results to anyone, including the entrants - the were only available in the latest magazine .... and the edition came out the day after I left to visit my folks (who live in Cape Town) ... Murphy's Law ... so I had no way of knowing results until I returned to Australia a couple of days ago. In fact, they shipped back my entry a week before I left, and I just assumed - in the absence of any news from AWR - that I might get a little praise at best.

I am not sure how available AWR is in the States. Quality magazine. It covers a good range of topics - hand and power tools, furniture making, turning, reviews. I have had a couple of articles published (OK, so it can't be that good :) ). The latest one also has a review of one of Philip Marcou's smoothers, written by yours truly (this is a stupendously good read of course!).

Thanks again.

Regards from Perth

Derek