When a Cheap Tool Is Enough
Most people treat software like a cheap, disposable chisel—they buy the flashiest thing on the shelf, use it until it goes dull, and then toss it for the next shiny model. They get blinded by fancy interfaces and subscription models that promise the world but deliver nothing but clutter. When you're looking at how to […]
Judging a Brand by Its Spare Parts
I remember standing in a workshop back in the nineties, staring at a high-end plane that had gone dead because the manufacturer decided they didn't sell the replacement lever anymore. They wanted you to scrap the whole tool and buy a new one—what they call "planned obsolescence," but I call rubbish. Most people think you […]
Buying From a Stall Without Regret
I remember standing at a rain-slicked market stall in Leeds back in '84, staring at a row of planes that looked like they’d been pulled from a shipwreck. Most people would’ve walked straight past, thinking they were just looking at rusted scrap, but I knew better. You can't judge a tool by its shine or […]
Honing Guides Judged on Repeatability
I see these glossy magazine spreads and YouTube videos where someone spends twenty minutes talking about "precision engineering" and "ergonomic grips" before they've even put a blade in the thing. It’s nonsense. Most of those reviewers wouldn't know a consistent bevel if it bit them in the hand, and frankly, I'm tired of seeing people […]
Comparing Three Sharpening Systems
I’ve spent forty years watching companies try to sell us "revolutionary" sharpening kits that are nothing more than overpriced plastic nonsense. They’ll give you a glossy brochure full of technical jargon, but they never tell you if the thing actually holds an edge when you’re halfway through a dovetail joint. Most people go about how […]
Cheap Abrasives Cost More
I remember sitting in my workshop back in the nineties, staring at a pile of expensive, branded grit that had done nothing but clog up and burn the grain of a piece of oak I’d spent all morning prepping. It’s a frustrating feeling when you’ve paid a premium for a product, only to find it’s […]
Judging a Finish by How It Repairs
I spent thirty years on-site and another ten in a classroom, and if there’s one thing that gets my goat, it’s the way people treat wood finishes like they’re some kind of high-tech chemical miracle. You’ll see these glossy videos online where everything looks perfect under a studio light, but they never tell you how […]
Three Glues and When Each Wins
I remember sitting in my workshop back in the nineties, staring at a joint that had just split clean through on a piece of seasoned oak. I’d followed the instructions on the tin to the letter, but the bond had nothing on a handshake. Most people think you review an adhesive by reading the fancy […]
A Vice Judged on Its Screw
I remember a lad in my college workshop years ago, a bright kid with more enthusiasm than sense, who spent a small fortune on a high-end, cast-iron bench vice because a glossy magazine told him it was "professional grade." He spent three hours trying to figure out how to review a vice based on its […]
Clamps That Do Not Rack
I’ve spent forty years watching lads walk into tool shops and throw money away on heavy-duty, over-engineered clamps that promise the world but can’t hold a straight line to save their lives. Most of the "expert" guides you find online will tell you to look at load capacities or fancy ergonomic grips, but they miss […]