How far is Culver City Calif from Maine? Far enough so that nobody from Maine represented Lie Nielsen at their two-day showcase for woodworkers. About 5 or six company reps did come from other places, though.
They couldn't tempt me. I'm just too strong willed.
My initial foray into WoodWorking was a drunken, frenzied gush of consumer insanity. I retired and I was going to buy everything in the Lee Valley catalog, with new, green-painted 220 power equipment for the shop floor. Then, I grew up. So, even though I have about 13 wonderful handplanes, I only own one, used Lie Nielsen model. A block plane.
What I saw today might not be for everyone. But their tools are impressive. And if you have $2500 in quarters rolling around under the seats of your car — annoying hell out of you — you can get rid of them by buying the LN Workbench. One odd little item that would be super for a guy installing windows who needs to make a tongue & groove window sash. It's the T&G plane. The spring loaded fence pulls down and rotates to allow cutting mating joint surfaces.
That seems a lot more sensible out on a job than dragging a router table in from your truck. Boy, these guys are really staying up late at night, trying hard to figure ways to separate you from your money.
Gary Curtis