Thread: Do we need expensive hand tools?

Originally Posted by auscab

Of course I like Orangutangs , Ive even had girl friends that looked like them I love them so much!

yeh suppose. I quite like rangers too…..Especially when they wear green. Firery red hair and green thin dresses…. big straw hats. no underwear. caught in the rain in summer. Windy days are pretty good too.

Well done ratbag! for starting such a diverse discussion.
Do we need expensive hand tools?
Yes indeed if your a collector I'd say.
Collectors seem to flock to the expensive rare stuff, cause that's what the other guy wants.
Personally I "don't get" people who collect expensive hand tools and don't use them. Just makes em dust collectors ifyarskme.

Brings to mind a scenario that happened here about 20 years ago.... a little story if you will.

I was making a gunstock for a double barrelled shot gun;to replace a broken one. It was for a mighty fine shotgun that the owner obviously treasured.
The particular gun had internal hammers which makes for a trickier job to get all the clearances right etc,etc.
Anyway an old guy from down the road happened to drop in for one reason or other while I was working on it, with all my finest patternmaking chisels and gouges on the workbench.
He seemed interested. I didn't think too much of it. He went away.
Made the gunstock for the client out of some figured walnut and he was thrilled, probably underquoted as usual but I could see how happy the bloke was and didn't mind.
A week or so later the old guy from down the road turned up again, this time proudly brandishing his double barrelled shotgun with an absolutely stunning figured blackwood stock on it that he had just finished making to replace his busted one..
He was so proud of what he had made.
Rightly so, he had done an absolute kickass job on it.
I asked him what he had made it with?
His reply, "Just a blunt old saw and a bit of broken glass for a scraper"
I told him that I'd take my hat off to him for his effort if I had one. End of story.

Moral of story....You do not need expensive hand tools to make good stuff, if you have the motivation to make it.
On the other hand....its horrible trying to carve wood for instance with a chisel that wont hold its edge.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

yeh suppose. I quite like rangers too…..Especially when they wear green. Firery red hair and green thin dresses…. big straw hats. no underwear. caught in the rain in summer. Windy days are pretty good too.

with a glass or two of red wine in them . Man !!!

Originally Posted by auscab

Who's telling you what you need act old dude

Just a point of order - should there be a comma after "act", or "old"?

This thread needs a little light relief...

I confess to feeling at one with the orangutang featured earlier.... (here he is again, in case you missed it) I know he is making a complete hash of whatever project his tiny simian mind has concocted.... that's pretty much how I feel when things go wrong...

And I know just how to fix it... I just have to buy that Wenzloff Kenyon inspired panel saw and everything will magically fit perfectly and the sun will shine again... hang the expense..



So, do you need expensive tools, of course you do, it makes you feel better and you can blame all your previous failures on those cheap badly designed inadequate tools.. low cost therapy...

So there you have it, cheap yellow plastic handled hard point saws are only for orangatangs, Ridiculously expensive Wenzloff Kenyons are for the rest of us...

Ray

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

Just a point of order - should there be a comma after "act", or "old"?

There ! edit power.


Point of order !! stick it! Mr grammar correction, in that ole it don't fit in.

I wonder how old ginger there would go with this one....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-W...item54116289ca

Some people crack me up.

Originally Posted by auscab

There ! edit power.


Point of order !! stick it! Mr grammar correction, in that ole it don't fit in.

LOL, now it means something different again.

Originally Posted by Ratbag

I wonder how old ginger there would go with this one....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-W...item54116289ca

Some people crack me up.

Isn't it a hammer for wriggle nails?

Originally Posted by FenceFurniture

There's a few things to mention, and the primary one is that skilled hands with not so good tools will do a better job than unskilled hands with a superb version of the tool. But at the same time, I would think it might be better to learn with a good tool rather than a lesser tool.

It's a good point and mentioned by some others too. It reminds me of a long time ago working with a bloke who had had the opportunity to race a Ferrari (I think it was a 330P2 for the pedantic amongst you) at a small UK race track.

I was overawed at the time and asked how he went. He said not too bad except he had to endure the ignominy of being passed by Graham Hill in a Lotus Cortina! This also shows just how long ago this was .

Regards
Paul

May be we should go back to the old school saying " It's a bad tradesperson that blames their tools."
know your tool, how to use it and how to maintain it.

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

"Do I enjoy using it more".

MS

I think that is the essence irrespective of cost, skill level or justification.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by hiroller

Need. It's an interesting word.

Hiroller

Indeed.

Needs vs Want .

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

Sometimes, it may be incompetence and a lack of skill which suggests that top price can mask ineptitude. Golf clubs can be like that.

Sometimes, top price infers durability and reliability. Pfeil wood carving gouges are like that. Doesn't mean that my carvings are any more or less attractive.

Sometimes, top price carries a larger margin of safety. My brother has done more than 130 dives (scuba). Recently 20+m, 4C and zero visibility, to lead his dive team in the rediscovery of the location of a sacred stone called Mistaseni. I subsidize his kit. It's about the only thing I can do to have some peace of mind.

I'd ignore the critics and move forward. They can fill their boots.

RV

I can relate to the golf club syndrome, but in my case with tennis. In the days of my youth I played for my local tennis club and was partnered with and old guy (well I thought he was old then). Jim told me that in his youth he played doubles with a bloke who arrived on the court with a busted up old racquet, which most likely had a string broken too. Jim used to arrive with a smart kit bag and two or three racquets.

The opposition played on the bloke with the broken string and had normally lost the first set before they realised Jim was the weak link .

Regards
Paul