Lee Valley now selling Bridge City Tool Works stuff

[Hilton Ralphs]

Bridge City Tool Works now available from Lee Valley.

398719

See here (http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=77205&cat=51&ap=1)for the listing.

[Albert Dao]

Man... Every time I think I've spent enough money at Lee Valley.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

It's a smart move for Lee Valley- let someone else worry with manufacturing and supply chain, and you be the retail outlet. I just wish Bridge City hadn't gone the route of gimmicky and pricey tools. The chopstick maker, the kerfmaker, the tenonmaker... kind of solutions to problems that don't exist. That said, I have no doubt they are very well-made tools, and I own one of the older wood and brass Bridge City squares, which is my go-to when I need a smaller precision square. (I have larger Incra squares that are wonderful.) I am sure the layout tools are excellent. I can't spring that much for one at the moment. I would like to have that metric adjustable square right now for this metric boat build, but I can't justify the cost.

That said, I have always loved this square, and one day I will probably spring for one.
https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/bridge-city-tool-works-ct12-combination-square-78995r

[Charles Guest]

My nine year old daughter (future pastry chef) is jonesing for the snowflake piping tips on LV's website. Going to be a stocking stuffer. Their nonwoodworking lines are not insignificant.

[Jim Koepke]

Bridge City was sold back in August:


Bridge City Tool Works' Transition under Harvey Industries
If you haven't been following John's blog the past few months, you may not be aware that Bridge City Tool Works joined the Harvey Industries, Ltd. family of companies this August 2018.

Things change.

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

My nine year old daughter (future pastry chef) is jonesing for the snowflake piping tips on LV's website. Going to be a stocking stuffer. Their nonwoodworking lines are not insignificant.

I wanted to get those for my wife because I wanted to play with them. She’s a minimalist. She said no.

[Hasin Haroon]

Agree with you a 100%. I have the 6" version of the combination square you linked to, and love it. Nowadays the BCTW aesthetic seems to be different too, more multi colored anodized aluminium and almost gimmicky looking tools, like the multi layout tool. If they offered some of their classic stuff though I'd snap it up in a heartbeat.

[William Adams]

For the explanation of why the rosewood got dropped please see:

http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/john-economaki-designer-of-tools/

[Hilton Ralphs]

My nine year old daughter (future pastry chef) is jonesing for the snowflake piping tips on LV's website. Going to be a stocking stuffer. Their nonwoodworking lines are not insignificant.

You have no idea how many non-wooding stuff I've bought from Lee Valley. We don't really get a lot of the cool kitchen stuff here in South Africa so I've bought a ton of that but the gardening equipment is just too bulky and heavy to ship economically.

They should split the divisions up more now, Woodworking, Hardware, Garden, Kitchen, Leather, Guitar Making etc.

[Josko Catipovic]

Chopstick maker, eh? All of a sudden, my wish for ducks and splines doesn't seem so esoteric.

[Bill Houghton]

Bridge City was sold back in August:

Things change.

jtk
As Hillary Flammond says so memorably in the movie Top Secret, “Things change. People change. Hairstyles change. Interest rates fluctuate…”

Bridge City was always beyond my budget. The tools are pretty, but the prices make my wallet hide in the corner and whimper. Their molding planes, strange looking as they are, are attractive; but, even there, for less than the setup for one profile, I could have a complete, pristine Stanley 45 and have far more available to me.

[William Adams]

I bought the Chopstick Master v2 as part of the family vacation budget the other year and have been very impressed by it --- it's allowed me to share woodworking with some folks whom I otherwise wouldn't've had the chance to, and lets me make personal presents for folks.

The plane w/ depth skids is also incredible for planing small stock to precise thicknesses which capability I use a lot more than I expected to.

[Simon MacGowen]

I bought the Chopstick Master v2 as part of the family vacation budget the other year and have been very impressed by it --- it's allowed me to share woodworking with some folks whom I otherwise wouldn't've had the chance to, and lets me make personal presents for folks.

The plane w/ depth skids is also incredible for planing small stock to precise thicknesses which capability I use a lot more than I expected to.

That second part shows us the business smarts of John E. He knew most (not all) woodworkers including his base of supporters would not think highly of such a gadget, at least not from a tool maker like him. But he really liked the challenge of creating a toy that relied on precision handwork to succeed. So he designed the chopstick toy -- for woodworkers and non-woodworkers alike -- to include a function, as minimal as it is, that a woodworker can use. Whether or not a woodworker would buy that just to thickness plane a wood was, of course, not his main concern.

Basically, it is a toy, party or conversation piece. No serious woodworkers would buy it as a shop tool, and John knew it. But John enjoyed the process and you know what, that gadget brought him and the future owner of BCTW together, paving the way for his retirement! What a story with a lovely ending, don't you all think?

Me? I have enough toys, and making chopsticks has yet to earn a place on my to-do list. May be one day I will, when I am too old to do any precision joinery work without relying on a gadget like the Chopstick Master. Who knows, may be the one I will be getting is its Version #5.:D

Simon