john brenton
05-09-2011, 10:30 AM
Small gloat with a long narrative.
I had to run up to Augusta and I usually stop at an antique mall on the way. There are three sellers that have the kind of stuff we look for. There's usually something amidst all the Craftsman Handyman planes, old buck saws and caddywhompus brace drills. I came across a Winchester smoother but it was already too overpriced to fettle and flip.
But on my way out I took another look and among all the old kitchen wares I saw this little beauty. It looked like it came out of someone's nose, but I picked it up and this sucker is solid as a rock. I paid about 9 bucks and sure enough it is a guayacan/lignum vitae/iron wood/whatever mallet....which is EXACTLY what I wanted. I was even thinking about shelling out the $40 for the Sorby mallet. I took it home and oiled it, and it's sweeeeeeet. I couldn't wait and chopped a couple mortises and it is the absolute perfect weight.
So, there it is, my little gloat. Yet more proof to never say no to taking 10 minutes to browse an antique mall.
PS. This mallet and Stewie's second handle should get together...maybe we'd get a good dovetail mallet out of it. Inside joke. Nevermind.
I had to run up to Augusta and I usually stop at an antique mall on the way. There are three sellers that have the kind of stuff we look for. There's usually something amidst all the Craftsman Handyman planes, old buck saws and caddywhompus brace drills. I came across a Winchester smoother but it was already too overpriced to fettle and flip.
But on my way out I took another look and among all the old kitchen wares I saw this little beauty. It looked like it came out of someone's nose, but I picked it up and this sucker is solid as a rock. I paid about 9 bucks and sure enough it is a guayacan/lignum vitae/iron wood/whatever mallet....which is EXACTLY what I wanted. I was even thinking about shelling out the $40 for the Sorby mallet. I took it home and oiled it, and it's sweeeeeeet. I couldn't wait and chopped a couple mortises and it is the absolute perfect weight.
So, there it is, my little gloat. Yet more proof to never say no to taking 10 minutes to browse an antique mall.
PS. This mallet and Stewie's second handle should get together...maybe we'd get a good dovetail mallet out of it. Inside joke. Nevermind.