Tool availability from LN and Veritas

[john zulu]

Anyone know what is going on with the mentioned manufacturer? At lease Veritas is still being stocked but at a slower pace. How is LN nowadays?

[George Yetka]

I think with a lot of people finding they have more time on their hands more people are in the garage. Plus stimulus checks probably went to LV or LN

[mike stenson]

The supply chains are a mess world-wide. On all sorts of products. I suspect that this also plays into it.

Manufacturing is also probably limited due to safety measures.

[Todd Trebuna]

The supply chains are a mess world-wide. On all sorts of products. I suspect that this also plays into it.

Manufacturing is also probably limited due to safety measures.


This.^^ I'm not sure that precious metals (such as steel, brass, alloys etc) and other supplies are all sourced here or in Canada. It makes sense that with the disruption in supply chains, pretty much every aspect is going to have a delay. Factor in the cumulative effect and you get long delays....Delays at procurement, delays at manufacturing, delays in shipping, delays in customs all add up to long delays to the user.

[Nathan Johnson]

I mean....we're in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.
As mike stated, supply chains are screwed up, people are out sick, companies are running reduced staff or have to slow down to ensure health and safety protocols....

Lie Nielsen has been adding tools in small batches as they're produced, and now, on some, have created an option for email notification when available.
I've been watching their saws for a while, and a few weeks ago Dovetail saws were available again. So I snagged one.
This morning, I saw their rabbet block plane has Add to Cart enabled.

Things are just slow.

[mike stenson]

I do believe, that we'd have had a lot more supply buffer had everyone not moved to JIT and still warehoused raw materials, but that would have only been a buffer. We'd have exhausted it already.

I read a great article about the bicycle industry recently, regarding the supply chain issues and the very surprising things that affect it. Such as the inability of migrant workers in China to move, so there aren't people available to actually work to prep raw materials. Here's the link, it's worth a read.

https://www.bicycleretailer.com/opinion-analysis/2020/12/16/down-under-prediction-2021-bike-supply-which-probably-applies-here-well#.YBGUQS2ZNR0

[Thomas Wilson]

Their statement on their website, presumably from Thomas LN, says that they have cut back on production staffing for safety and that Maine has been hit hard by COVID-19. He says their production strategy has been to produce the tools on their Core Tools list, and will add Core2 tools when they can.

I am a big consumer of LN tools and visit their website often. Even before the pandemic, it seemed like LN was scaling back. I think PM-V11 steel has hurt them. I still think LN tools are the best overall but they are not competing effectively on the high end super steels or the easy to sharpen O1.

[Jack Frederick]

I spoke with the LN folks last week asking about availability of their vices. As Tom stated, they are making runs as they can. There was no schedule for the vices. They are very much, "in business" but due to distancing issues, plant lay-out and safety issues for staff are driving production output. As they wouldn't sell me a vise I ended up buying the Boggs Concave spokeshave. It is a terrific tool. I guess I showed them;)

[john zulu]

Their statement on their website, presumably from Thomas LN, says that they have cut back on production staffing for safety and that Maine has been hit hard by COVID-19. He says their production strategy has been to produce the tools on their Core Tools list, and will add Core2 tools when they can.

I am a big consumer of LN tools and visit their website often. Even before the pandemic, it seemed like LN was scaling back. I think PM-V11 steel has hurt them. I still think LN tools are the best overall but they are not competing effectively on the high end super steels or the easy to sharpen O1.

The company has to protect their asset. Their staff. So scaling back is only sensible until COVID is under control with minimal impact.

[David Publicover]

As others have mentioned, there are some big restrictions on producing just about anything right now. I’m just grateful that LV and LN seem to be weathering the storm! I’ve still managed to spend plenty at LV despite my unfulfilled wish list.

[Jim Matthews]

The company has to protect their asset. Their staff. So scaling back is only sensible until COVID is under control with minimal impact.

^^^This. The real long term risk is to lose trained staff that can't be hired off the street. This is The Way.

[john zulu]

^^^This. The real long term risk is to lose trained staff that can't be hired off the street. This is The Way.


waiting for season 3?

[Rob Lee]

Anyone know what is going on with the mentioned manufacturer? At lease Veritas is still being stocked but at a slower pace. How is LN nowadays?

Hi -

These are difficult times to be a manufacturer in our industry. There are supply and labor disruptions at virtually every point in the supply chain - material shortages, shut downs, backlogs, transportation delays, container shortages - you name it.

In a way - we are fortunate that demand has been very strong for our product. Those with discretionary spending have diverted a lot of it into home-centric purchasing, or leisure pursuits that can be done on one's own.

We are currently carrying a 4-6 month order book, but are finding it very difficult to scale for the demand spike. Even if we could get the material we need, we are still having a hard time hiring. With 26 open positions in our manufacturing operation, we cannot just add extra shifts. Then too - one can't restructure a business for a spike - we all have to expand in a sustainable manner - as none of us knows what business will look like once the pandemic is in check. The spending pendulumn could swing far in the other direction....

This is liable to go on for about another 8-12 months. Like a traffic slow-down that persists after an accident has been cleared, the pandemic induced supply chain shockwaves will continue to have effects long after we're all back to "normal".

As for COVID - we have been focused on protecting our staff first. With over 1000 permanent and part time staff, we have had zero cases of transmission at work, and only 6 staff contract COVID externally (most from family members). There's certainly an efficiency cost to this level of protection - but one we're willing to pay.

I'm sure Tom feels the same way, and has has all of the same challenges we do - if not more...

Cheers -

Rob

[Jake Otis]

Thanks Rob. I had such a wonderful conversation today with Liz and can only say, on a personal note, that your commitment to 1st) safety of the LN Team and 2nd) never compromising on quality, only strengthens my long-term desire to use your products. Sure... waiting for something that I wanted yesterday is frustrating but that’s not your problem, it’s mine. The pendulum will always be moving in one direction or another. Seems to me that LN is still ahead of the curve by keeping your doors open, employing local workers, and producing a product that has a global demand. The rest is just going to take time.

[Charles Guest]

It's times like these you can't quit kicking yourself for subcontracting stuff you probably should have kept in-house. It all works, until it doesn't.

[Rob Lee]

Thanks Rob. I had such a wonderful conversation today with Liz and can only say, on a personal note, that your commitment to 1st) safety of the LN Team and 2nd) never compromising on quality, only strengthens my long-term desire to use your products. Sure... waiting for something that I wanted yesterday is frustrating but that’s not your problem, it’s mine. The pendulum will always be moving in one direction or another. Seems to me that LN is still ahead of the curve by keeping your doors open, employing local workers, and producing a product that has a global demand. The rest is just going to take time.

Hi Jake,

I’m actually the other guy....but your and my comments apply to both, I’m sure....

Except for Liz....she’s Tom’s! :)

Cheers,

Rob
(Lee Valley, Veritas)

[Jake Otis]

Well, the great news is that I just got my first newbie “doh” out of the way. 😉 I love your products as well and the same holds true of my earlier words. Thank you for everything.

[Ben Ellenberger]

I spoke with the LN folks last week asking about availability of their vices. As Tom stated, they are making runs as they can. There was no schedule for the vices. They are very much, "in business" but due to distancing issues, plant lay-out and safety issues for staff are driving production output. As they wouldn't sell me a vise I ended up buying the Boggs Concave spokeshave. It is a terrific tool. I guess I showed them;)

that’s good news about the vices! I had noticed they weren’t on the site any more and was worried they might have been permanently discontinued.

[Jim Koepke]

Well, the great news is that I just got my first newbie “doh” out of the way. �� I love your products as well and the same holds true of my earlier words. Thank you for everything.

And howdy Jake and Welcome to the Creek.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

Mike, Point taken. Maybe armchair quarterback was too much. Retracted. And thanks for the bicycle article. That was fascinating.

[Rob Lee]

Well, the great news is that I just got my first newbie “doh” out of the way. �� I love your products as well and the same holds true of my earlier words. Thank you for everything.

Hi Jake -

No worries - been there many times myself. Did not notice it was your first post (see - a "d'oh" moment....) - welcome to the forum!

Cheers -

Rob

[Joe Skinner]

No matter what business you are in, if you can be more efficient, you can make more profit.
It costs money to store "stuff". Stuff can be raw materials, finished product, parts and supplies.

About 30 or so years ago, we started using the just in time method of dealing with stuff. If you are making a product, you schedule with your suppliers and shippers so you get raw material in just in time to use it, and product goes out the door just in time for the shipper. Everybody alone the chain is doing the same thing and being more efficient, therefore more profitable.

This just in time method works great, right up until there is a disruption anywhere in the chain. So now there are new restrictions due to Covid. Supply chains are disrupted, shipping is disrupted, manufacturing processes are disrupted. Think about it, did any manufacturer anywhere, in Dec 2019, have a plan of what to do if suddenly workers need to be 6 feet apart? And that is just one disruption.

I'm honestly surprised that there have not been more shortages in manufacturing.

[Matt Riegerix]

Supply is definaetly an issue. Anecdotally in my case demand has risen a lot too, I've been seperated more often from the fully equipped woodshop I work at and doing more handwork in my garage, and spending money on hand tools consequentially. Wishing some mortise chisels would come back in stock as I'm currently cutting mortises with bevel edge chisels.