Close-Up and Personal Look at the NEW Lie-Nielsen Stainless Steel Honing Guide.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

By the way, there was another part of the interview I left off:

[Asa] So tell me Thomas, why did you choose flathead screws over torx, hex, or other options? [Thomas] Well Asa, actually we just did that to piss off the guys on the internet forums and give them something to nitpick. Without that the thing wouldn't get much air time. It's all just a trick to get more people talking about it. [Asa] That's very smart marketing. [Thomas] Yes, actually that's the whole deal behind the plow plane as well. We really don't have a clue when we are going to produce this thing. This one here is actually made with a 3D printer and spraypainted to look like metal. [Asa] Wow, you really had me fooled. It's so heavy. [Thomas] Yes, we put lead in there to make it feel more like real metal. This is yet another internet ploy to get people talking. Any publicity is good publicity. [Asa] So what other things do you do to get people talking? [Thomas] Well these are really industry secrets, but we actually sometimes put stuff on eBay at really high prices. Also we sell stuff on Craigslist. For instance, we had these two limited edition planes with sequential serial numbers.... [Asa] I heard about those! [Thomas] Yep! It worked. Got hundreds of hits on our website after we sold those two, and the internet forums were all buzzing. It really got the brand name out there. [Asa] So, do you read forums like Sawmill Creek? [Thomas] No, that's Rob Lee- my competitor. Good grief Asa, do you really have to keep bringing him up on these interviews? [Asa] Sorry, I get the two mixed up. [Thomas] Oh for crying out loud- he makes funky new tools and I make classic tools. He's a punk rocker and I'm a classical guitarrist. Get it straight. [Asa] I'm so sorry. [Thomas] It's okay, but I'm not giving you a hat.

Ha!!! Just having a little fun- none of that really happened... at least not on tape. The previous transcript in my other post, however, is word for word, except I finally started leaving out the word "um" every time Thomas said it, and a few of the two-word comments where Asa buttinskied while Thomas was talking.

[Hilton Ralphs]

My type of humour! Well done Malcolm.

[Tom Vanzant]

I can see it now...LN Honing Guide: p/n XXXXX, -001 for slotted, -002 for Torx, -003 for square, -004 for Allen, ....etc.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Nicely done, Malcolm. Nicely done, indeed.

Especially the riff on the pair of bronze 4-1/2. Too bad you couldn't work the manna-from-heaven 2C in there somehow...........

[Harold Burrell]

By the way, there was another part of the interview I left off:

[Asa] So tell me Thomas, why did you choose flathead screws over torx, hex, or other options? [Thomas] Well Asa, actually we just did that to piss off the guys on the internet forums and give them something to nitpick. Without that the thing wouldn't get much air time. It's all just a trick to get more people talking about it. [Asa] That's very smart marketing. [Thomas] Yes, actually that's the whole deal behind the plow plane as well. We really don't have a clue when we are going to produce this thing. This one here is actually made with a 3D printer and spraypainted to look like metal. [Asa] Wow, you really had me fooled. It's so heavy. [Thomas] Yes, we put lead in there to make it feel more like real metal. This is yet another internet ploy to get people talking. Any publicity is good publicity. [Asa] So what other things do you do to get people talking? [Thomas] Well these are really industry secrets, but we actually sometimes put stuff on eBay at really high prices. Also we sell stuff on Craigslist. For instance, we had these two limited edition planes with sequential serial numbers.... [Asa] I heard about those! [Thomas] Yep! It worked. Got hundreds of hits on our website after we sold those two, and the internet forums were all buzzing. It really got the brand name out there. [Asa] So, do you read forums like Sawmill Creek? [Thomas] No, that's Rob Lee- my competitor. Good grief Asa, do you really have to keep bringing him up on these interviews? [Asa] Sorry, I get the two mixed up. [Thomas] Oh for crying out loud- he makes funky new tools and I make classic tools. He's a punk rocker and I'm a classical guitarrist. Get it straight. [Asa] I'm so sorry. [Thomas] It's okay, but I'm not giving you a hat.

Ha!!! Just having a little fun- none of that really happened... at least not on tape. The previous transcript in my other post, however, is word for word, except I finally started leaving out the word "um" every time Thomas said it, and a few of the two-word comments where Asa buttinskied while Thomas was talking.

HA! Excellent!

[Paul Sidener]

I was there as well. I love going to Jeff Millers shop. It is better than the Lie Nielsen tools, and I love the tools. Jeff is wonderful to talk to and is a very good host for the hand tool event. I did get a good look at the honing guide. While talking to the LN rep, he did say it would be in the $100 range for the basic unit. They were also taking names for a waiting list for the first production run. They would get theirs before they go on sale to the general public. I did get on the list, we'll see how it goes. Maybe they are using that to gauge interest.

[James Owen]

On the serious side, slotted screws need to continue to exist for reproduction work....
On the not–so–serious side, how do you expect LN to be able to sell their lovely (flat–bladed) screwdriver set, if they don't put slotted screws on their tools? :-)

[James Owen]

Stealth gloat....
Nicely done!

[Karl Fife]

You're not on the LN payroll are you? You should be getting some kind of commission, methinks.

Right?!

Sadly, quite the opposite is true. The payroll goes from me TO Lie-Nielsen, and many of the other fine toolmakers that keep this great craft alive. No regrets. I'd rather drive an old car and live in a lesser house, than waste precious hours of life working with shitty tools.

Hats off to Chris Vesper, Richard Kell, Lee Marshall, Kuriyama Noboru (Kinshiro), Dave Jeske, Raney Nelson, Del Stubbs, Gary Benson, and others. I'm sure Joel, Patrick, Robin, Ray and the rest will forgive me for not calling them out by name. :-)

[Rob Lee]

Can I play too?

http://www.leevalley.com/home/temprl/jaws.jpg

[ken hatch]

Can I play too?

http://www.leevalley.com/home/temprl/jaws.jpg

Rob,

Sure....but more than a tease, please .

ken

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Can I play too?

http://www.leevalley.com/home/temprl/jaws.jpg

You can play, but not if you're just going to tease us. :-) So I see the "bump" that the angle registration jig fits onto. I see adjustable side clamping jaws. I don't see what keeps the blade from slipping out. Just torque, or are the jaws angled in? Looks nice, though. The real question is does it have slotted screws?

[Harold Burrell]

Can I play too?

http://www.leevalley.com/home/temprl/jaws.jpg

Rob,

Sure....but more than a tease, please .

ken

Yeah, right Rob...SERIOUSLY? That's all we get???

We will only allow you to play if you play fair.

[Simon MacGowen]

Can I play too?

http://www.leevalley.com/home/temprl/jaws.jpg

You play... and we pay but no narrow rollers please (those who love narrow rollers can choose the LN's new jig when it comes out)!

Simon

[John Crawford]

Ok, now this is getting amusing.... I suggest that LV and LN both offer dramatic trade-in discounts for the others' product: Get 50% off our new honing guide when you trade in your LN guide!

Yes, I am an expert in marketing.