The Twins! Pair of LN #4 1/2 Bronze Anniv Planes- sequentially #'d! Not for sale.

[Moses Yoder]

My insurance and I have paid about $4000 now to learn a number of things, among them the fact that what a person does and says is about them, not about me.

[Steve Clardy]

I don't see many adult postings in here.
Is it against the rules to gloat now?

[Greg Muller]

Well, unintended consequences, indeed. I had no idea this thread would go in this direction. I just received an call from a friend asking me if I’d seen this post recently, so I figured I’d check in. My intentions were not clear, I suppose, and for that I will apologize. First, though, I feel that I should address a post that hits close to home, both literally and figuratively.
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Tim Atkins,
I once was happy to have you as a friend, but it seems those days are gone. I know you are a better person than these posts of yours, though. The last time I heard from you, you were telling me that you were done with me, but still wishing me well and a good life. I always wondered what caused you to call off our mutual rust hunting. Since you didn’t say, I never knew. I don’t rust hunt as much as I used to, since I retired and took on a volunteer job about 1 block from your workplace. I’ve also wondered how were you doing occasionally as I drive by your house on the way to the park, taking my son to his soccer practices. I’ve considered dropping in on you to see if you were well even. Now, I read your post above. I always thought you enjoyed my old tool finds as much as I celebrated yours. My enthusiasm must not have come off well to you and struck a bad chord. I never intended to gloat, and certainly never looked at the hunt as a competition. I just enjoy it as a hobby and perhaps it gets the better of me. Regardless, if there was something I could do to make it up to you, I would. Let me buy you a couple beers sometime and I’ll apologize profusely. If there’s too much water under the bridge for that, I understand. Either way, I’m sure our paths will cross again.

To the rest of this place;
Mea Culpa.


I apologize for not making my intent clearly enough. My initial post here was deleted, not because it was bad form or meanly spirited, but because a moderator thought I was fishing for offers for the LN planes. I wasn’t, and I reassured them that I wasn’t, and with a small addition to the title, the thread was recreated. I didn’t list the LN planes for sale for a few months after asking here for advice. I certainly didn’t expect more than a couple responses with advice.

When I initially took possession of these planes, I truly didn’t know what to do with them. After all, they were created as limited editions, and if you ask my late grandmother, she’ll tell you that anything that is limited edition, especially her numbered Elvis plates or her antique porcelain dolls, are collectible. So, not being sure if I would be committing some sacrilege, I asked here, and on other forums for advice. Yes, I was excited to have these, and I probably let my enthusiasm run rampant (it does, often) so I should have known to be careful in my posts or they wouldn’t be well perceived. The person I got these planes from has even posted in this thread, and was the steward of them for almost a decade prior, so I knew I wasn’t the only person in the world who valued them, and I respect him highly as a woodworker and friend.

I’ve also received a bit of a roasting on the price I’m asking. Well, that was the highest price that one of these planes sold for, about 5 years ago at an east coast auction house. Another unopened one has sold on Ebay for $1200. I also placed a “Best Offer” option on it, from the beginning. I thought that was fair. Others have their opinions and have let them be known. I’m not sure when it became appropriate to bash others for collecting tools or for selling them as collectibles, but it has grown traction apparently. The internet tough guys have come smelling blood. I haven’t seen this much attack on my person since my time in the Army. I’m not worried about their opinions, but I’ll apologize to them for ruffling their feathers. I’m not trying to be snide, either. I mean it. Additionally, my comment in the Ebay post regarding the ‘single malt and chunk of burl’ was meant to be taken with a heavy dose of sarcasm, as I had learned before putting it up for sale that such a comment would be appreciated by the forum members. I probably should have thrown in a sarcasm sign. Again, my mistake.

Finally, for those who haven’t read the Q/A comments on the Ebay post, I am using one of the LN planes and the other will either sell, or I’ll pass it on to my first grandchild unopened. I don’t have any grandchildren yet, but I hope to pass woodworking on to them as a hobby. I own and predominantly use vintage Stanley’s and Lee Valley/Veritas tools, but I do have a couple specialty tools from Lie Nielsen and find them to be great users. I own exactly 3 tools that have never been opened. One is the LN, another is a Veritas Anniversary Edge plane, and the final one is a NIB Stanley Sweetheart #4. Everything else is used and enjoyed. Since my retirement, I’ve done more woodworking than previously, and it has helped while away the hours between summers spent hanging out with my 12 year son and 9 year old daughter.

Thanks for all your comments, most of them were very helpful and given in the spirit with which I asked, but I’ve learned something from them all.

And before anyone else says it, TL;DR, right?

-Greg

(hoping for better results this time...)