Woodpecker One Time Tools

[Julie Moriarty]

I stumbled across one of the Woodpecker videos the other day. It was for their marking gauge. BINGO! Found what I was looking for, and then some.

For anyone who is familiar with their OneTime tools, you know it doesn't mean you only have to see them in operation one time and then you're sold. For those who aren't familiar with OneTime tools, they send emails to club members, take orders, close it after three weeks, make a production run and ship them out.

Then the tool is retired.

This seems crazy. They invest in the design and engineering and machine setup and then only offer it for 3 weeks to a small group. The end.

Is it just me or is this a little nuts?

Please forgive the typo in the title.

[Alan Lightstone]

They've done it this way for years. I always forget to ask them about that when I see them in the yearly Woodworking show. Feels like an informercial. "Buy before midnight tonight, operators are standing by. But wait, there's more. In Japan the hand is used as a knife. But it doesn't work on a tomato. Yes, the Ginsu 2... :D" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pde0aOM-lds

That being said, I've bought quite a number of their one-time tools, and find the ones I buy very useful. But certainly pricey.

[Stewart Lang]

It keeps customers always checking in on their tools to make sure they don't miss anything :)

If you are actually interested in buying one, check eBay. If none are on there, set an alert for the next time one is listed.

[Joe Jensen]

Way cheaper to manufacture say 10,000 units all at once. If you did that and the sold a random amount each month you would have huge money tied up in inventory. If you made a thousand at a time it would be way more expensive. And you create some scarcity ordering.

[James Cheever]

I really like the tools, but he mounting delays in the initailly promised shipping of their tools and products is very disconcerting.

[Frank Pratt]

What's nuts is how much they cost for what they do. I've only seen a few of them that I felt were worth having.

[Julie Moriarty]

Way cheaper to manufacture say 10,000 units all at once. If you did that and the sold a random amount each month you would have huge money tied up in inventory. If you made a thousand at a time it would be way more expensive. And you create some scarcity ordering.

For production line products, I agree. But they don't work like that. It looks like they have a fairly small operation and there's a lot of hand work.

If you see one of their videos on You Tube and want to buy the tool, you can't. So the time spent in design and engineering has to be recouped in their initial offering. That marking gauge looked like the R&D was fairly substantial. Why not capitalize on it? Add to that the fact you have to kinda dig to even find their program. It makes no sense to me.

[Paul F Franklin]

They do occasionally bring back a tool and do another run if there is demand, and a number of items seem to be kept in production. I believe they started very small (their original business address was that of a small house that my family owned when I was I was in high school). When you are small, building small batches with orders in hand is a reasonable business model. It's a whole lot easier to get capital and credit with orders in hand. They are still located nearby in NE Ohio. I admit, their prices give me pause, but for items I will use a lot I am willing to pay for the quality, thoughtful design, and made in USA aspects.

[Dave Sabo]

None of us have to understand or like how they operate. Clearly they’re onto a formulae that works for them.

[johnny means]

Same marketing ploy they've been doing with sneakers and other "collectibles" for a while. Remember Beanie Babies? If they thought they'd built a better mousetrap they'd be willing to invest their own money.

[Mel Fulks]

Stuff gets valuable by people throwing a lot a stuff away ...not by saving it. The guys who own the two known Honus
Wagner baseball cards probably live in constant fear of the rest of being found.

[Bill Dufour]

Opposite of Starrett that sells the same high quality tool for over 100 years with no changes except they no longer do a cyanide finish on the steel parts. They probably still sell pretty much the first micrometer ever invented with a few "new " modifications from 1860 or so. It does mean some odd ball screw sizes because there were no standards yet and they invented a new one for each tool. Why change to a some newfangled standard that has been around less then 150 years? I think the screws that hold my level vial in are #6-40 not 6-32. But you can buy that size tap and die today. Much harder to buy the screws from anyone other then starret at their prices.
Bil lD

[Bob Jones 5443]

Scarcity amps up demand. I just searched for this tool and the reference that came up said it was discontinued in 2017. But YouTube videos are forever.

Julie, I don't know of other gauges that can either leave a knife slice or a pencil line with the same gauge like the Woodpecker. But a combination square can get the pencil line on the work, and a $9 Marples wooden gauge's pin can be modified to produce an elegant scratch with or against the grain. For a more ready-made blade-line gauge, the Veritas micro-adjust is close to half the price of the Woodpecker.

[Randy Heinemann]

If you want a measuring tool or square that lasts forever, is so accurate you can literally always count on it, looks good, and has essentially a life-time warranty, then Woodpeckers is on the top of the list. If the tool is something you need and/or want and you want it to be the best, then I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Woodpeckers. They are responsive after purchase, always provide answers to my questions about their tools, and provide excellent support. It is a pain to wait 6 months to get a One-Time Tool but, when it comes, it's like getting a great unexpected present at your doorstep; a present that should last the rest of your life.

[Jack Lemley]

I have a LOT of red in my shop. Nuff said! ;-)

Jack

PS. Currently waiting on my order of their new Drill Press Table.... about 2 months late so far.... but my Nova Viking DP will love it!

[John Gornall]

Starrett is heat treated steel and cast iron - last a long time and still look good - aluminium no thanks

[Richard Coers]

Their business model works for no other reason that it gets people talking about them all the time. Woodpecker posts show up here quite frequently. Then someone says how crazy expensive it is and then many go to the website to see what it is. Seems very clever to me.

[Justin Rapp]

I have a few woodpecker rules I purchased when on sale and some square edge clamps I swear my measurements are more accurate now. Well made, easy to read and easy to find due to their bright red color. I also have a drill press table from them and the quality is great. I have been looking at their router tables for years and am having a hard time with cost to replace my rocker table when I have other tool's i've wanted or needed to upgrade. I've seen it at the woodworking shows and it's worth the money.if I know many of us had made 'goofs' buying cheaper tools and now

I don't care what their business model is, it's working for them and they turn out quality.

[Frederick Skelly]

I have a few woodpecker rules I purchased when on sale and some square edge clamps I swear my measurements are more accurate now. Well made, easy to read and easy to find due to their bright red color. I also have a drill press table from them and the quality is great. I have been looking at their router tables for years and am having a hard time with cost to replace my rocker table when I have other tool's i've wanted or needed to upgrade. I've seen it at the woodworking shows and it's worth the money.if I know many of us had made 'goofs' buying cheaper tools and now

I don't care what their business model is, it's working for them and they turn out quality.

If they please you, and you can afford it, have at it! It's your money and your choice. Enjoy them every time you use them. (I have tools like that!) WP aren't my cup of tea, but that's ok too.

[johnny means]

If you want a measuring tool or square that lasts forever, is so accurate you can literally always count on it, looks good, and has essentially a life-time warranty, then Woodpeckers is on the top of the list. If the tool is something you need and/or want and you want it to be the best, then I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Woodpeckers. They are responsive after purchase, always provide answers to my questions about their tools, and provide excellent support. It is a pain to wait 6 months to get a One-Time Tool but, when it comes, it's like getting a great unexpected present at your doorstep; a present that should last the rest of your life.


I'm not as confident in the ability of aluminum to stand the test of time. Maybe for the weekend guy who treats his tools with love, but I've got way to much scarred up aluminum around the shop to have as much faith as you. All it takes is one slip with your marking knife and your working with a ruined edge forever. Not that they're aren't features that can make these tools a sheer joy to use, but I don't think they should be represented as especially durable.

[Paul F Franklin]

I'm not as confident in the ability of aluminum to stand the test of time. Maybe for the weekend guy who treats his tools with love, but I've got way to much scarred up aluminum around the shop to have as much faith as you. All it takes is one slip with your marking knife and your working with a ruined edge forever. Not that they're aren't features that can make these tools a sheer joy to use, but I don't think they should be represented as especially durable.

This may not be that much of an issue as all the WP stuff is anodized. The hardness of type 2 anodized aluminum is comparable to many stainless steels. I don't know if Woodpeckers uses Hard anodizing (type 3) but if they do, the hardness is comparable to tool steel (unhardened). I've not seen an issue using a marking knife with my WP rules, although I admit I am fairly careful with them, and all my precision tools.

[William Chain]

Overpriced, overhyped.

[Roger Feeley]

Paul,

They brought back the bevel gauge which gave me the opportunity to get the smaller one. I had the big one and (duh) sometimes it was too big.
They will also hunt around for you. Sometimes, they make a few extras and they will sell them. From time to time, they have a clearance of old one-time tools.

[Ellen Benkin]

Sorry everyone, but I always thought it was a scam. Offer "limited run" of tools at extremely high prices, wait a year or two, and then "resurrect" them -- also at very high prices and another "limited run". Good tools, no doubt, but so are Starretts.

[William Chain]

Bingo! Again, overpriced, overhyped.


Sorry everyone, but I always thought it was a scam. Offer "limited run" of tools at extremely high prices, wait a year or two, and then "resurrect" them -- also at very high prices and another "limited run". Good tools, no doubt, but so are Starretts.

[Jim Becker]

I would not characterize the Woodpeckers "One Time Tools" as a scam. It's just a very effective marketing campaign for customers who "feel something" about perceived exclusivity which is a subjective point of view. There are many entities that produce limited run products for this reason and they profit from it. And that's OK. Some of the things that Woodpeckers has put under the One Time Tool campaign have had some interesting twists, but many are more or less fancy looking versions of something that already exist...at least to me. That may be where some feel it's scammy, but it's easy to see what is being offered and make a decision accordingly. So while I'm not a buyer of this stuff, the next person might find value enough to put out their money for it.

[Bob Jones 5443]

Woodpeckers might prefer to jig up for a single run to save production costs, and the costs of switching on and off the run. Then they sit back and let the demand come, to see how many they need to make. When the run's over, they pack away the jigs for the next appearance of the limited run. This sounds highly efficient to me: I wouldn't expect them to lose money with this business model.

And, not for nothing, buyers of Woodpeckers tools seem to be pleased with their purchases. Hard to find fault.

Other toolmakers have run into very long lead times by making individual tools to order. I won't name any names, because the makers I'm thinking of make beautiful, high-functioning tools. But when you hear about a well-regarded tool and you race to their website only to find a 12-week lead time –– or even longer –– it makes you think twice before ordering, especially if you need such a tool for a current project.

Rob Cosman threads the needle between these extremes, but only because he has bought about 30 band saws, drill presses, routers, buffers, sanders, and such (wild exaggeration, but you get the idea). Each is permanently set up for one unique operation, which is where he gets his production efficiency. But the capital outlay is a little staggering to think about. Woodpeckers doesn't need to do that.

[John Redford]

Not a fan boy. Form over function.

[Dave Sabo]

I don't know of other gauges that can either leave a knife slice or a pencil line with the same gauge like the Woodpecker.

Precision marking gauges a plenty:

https://www.incra.com/measuring_marking.html


some less than 20 bucks.

[Alan Lightstone]

I would not characterize the Woodpeckers "One Time Tools" as a scam. It's just a very effective marketing campaign for customers who "feel something" about perceived exclusivity which is a subjective point of view.

Funny, Jim, but I've never thought of buying them for 'perceived exclusivity', and have bought a number of Woodpeckers One Time Tools. For me, if they serve a function that helps me, and I'm okay with the price (which is certainly not all the time), I buy them. Occasionally I miss one that I would have liked. Sometimes I can still get it, sometimes I can't... Not the end of the World.

I have found them to be high quality, and their customer service is top notch. So, for the most part I'm a fan.

[Jim Becker]

I sure didn't mean that term intentionally placed in quotes to be an absolute. But there are folks who buy things all the time because they feel "that thing" elevates their status in the world, even if it's only in their own minds. You and I clearly don't do that...I buy something because it fits a need but I also consider quality and other factors as I'm making the decision. What's good about the Woodpecker's offerings is that they are pretty much high quality, so the "should I buy" is more about both function and what feels good. The feel-good thing is just part of being human and almost none of us are immune at some level.

As an aside, I recently bought some small DFM anodized aluminum squares and some of their scrapers. I noted them while watching some videos and found out they were a small business making things here in the US, also in limited quantities it seems. I had been looking for something like this to add to my layout arsenal anyway. I might have actually bought Woodpeckers, but went "blue" instead ;) ...the feel good here, aside from addressing a need was an opportunity to support a business I didn't know about previously.

[Alan Lightstone]

...the feel good here, aside from addressing a need was an opportunity to support a business I didn't know about previously.

I couldn't agree more.

I still feel horribly about the woodworker who made great shooting boards, but lived and had is business in Paradise, California which both were destroyed by the Camp wildfire. He posted his competitor's information if people needed stuff. Great guy, I hope he has been able to put his life/business back together.

It's been real rough for small businesses this year. I do everything I can to help them.

[Christopher Wellington]

This may not be that much of an issue as all the WP stuff is anodized. The hardness of type 2 anodized aluminum is comparable to many stainless steels. I don't know if Woodpeckers uses Hard anodizing (type 3) but if they do, the hardness is comparable to tool steel (unhardened). I've not seen an issue using a marking knife with my WP rules, although I admit I am fairly careful with them, and all my precision tools.The trouble is that anodizing does not do well with sharp edges. The process builds a layer out from the surface, so any sharp edge where two surfaces meet will have at best a very thin layer of anodizing. Anodizing is also not a particularly thick layer even on surfaces. We're talking a few tenths to maybe a thou thick, depending on process. A slipped marking knife or just general wear and tear will dent and gouge anodized aluminum more readily than steel.

It's not a great choice for precision-edged measuring tools like squares and rules. There's a good reason everyone else uses hardened steel. For me, it's pretty difficult to justify the high cost of Woodpeckers tools when they're made from aluminum, anodized or not.

[Ben Rivel]

Bought and sold a lot of Woodpeckers in my time, number one thing that always seems to blow me away is how they can get away with charging the same price or more for tools of a lower build quality than Starrett.