I will never be an absolute Neander but I do feel I can use hand tools to elevate the quality of the projects from my shop.
I ordered some chisels in January but the reality is that Covid 19, has disrupted the supply lines for all retailors of woodworking tools as reported recently by Rob Lee in a post on a thread I started in the Neander forum about chisels. Rob was kind enough to respond to my thread about my order of some Narex Richter chisels that June is the earliest LV may see some inventory from them and if you check LV's website some of the chisels show maybe August. LN's website shows some tools not available until later this year. While I always try to buy the best quality of tools I can afford, as an amateur hobbyist student woodworker, retired on a fixed income, I must live within a budget for my tools.
I have also been in the market for some hand planes. At least 3 different respected craftsmen woodworking writers recommend a block plane, a #4 smoother and a shoulder plane as a minimum starting kit with the later addition of a jointer.
Being remote, I often order stuff online but hate to do that with hand tools as I want to feel the tool's fit to my extremely large hands.
The nearest woodworking supply is a WoodCraft store in Spokane Washington that closed due to the owner's failing health and recently reopened under a new owner. Yesterday, I cancelled my chisel order with Lee Valley. Then my wife and I drove to Spokane. I decided to try the Wood River socket 4 bench chisel set and then my wife got involved. She knew I had been reading a lot about hand planes lately and wanted to know what I needed. I told her I already have a Wood River low angle block plane that I like. In the not too distant future, I wanted to add a #4 smoother, a shoulder plane and eventually a #7 or #8 jointer. My wife asked how much it would cost. She told me to get the chisels, the #4 smoother and the #92 medium shoulder plane. I told her I could wait on one of those 2 planes but she insisted. The new store's general manager was waiting on me and as he pulled the new planes out of the locked cabinet he asked my wife if she had a sister who was single. I now own the chisels and with the addition of the 2 new planes, 3 Wood River planes.
I have some things take to the dump and some cleanup to do around the house this morning and then it's to the shop to sharpen and tune the new tools.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald
