Friends,
Here is a something I read recently.
“In one sense, tools are simply things of steel and wood, attractive to the eye, perhaps wven beautiful in their efficient lines, functional design and appealing contrasts of texture and color. In another, it might be imagined that they only wait to be taken up and used, when they will then automatically perform with the precision that their appearance implies. This is an illusion. Tools can indeed be made to perform extraordinary tasks, sometimes with such impressive dispatch that they seem to have a life of their own. However, it is more realistic to see that a tool has no more and no less than a high potentiality for capacity performance. At the same time each one has its own peculiar ways and workings, individual quirks of personality, if you like. These traits must be discovered, at times only through dogged trial and error, and the knowledge of hem applied with persistent discipline and an attitude of acceptance, for the tool will not change its ways. When a tool is picked up and used in recognition of these limitations, then its full capability can be exploited to your purposes, and the two of you will work agreeably in tandem. Thus there is a sharp distinction between working with your tools and merely working them on wood.”
—
“As the potentialities and limitations of a tool are explored and understood, the quality of work tends to improve: and along with it grows the confidence that even more professional prodecures are possible. As the tool begins to show signs of functioning more nearly as it was designed to perform, you may percieve thatt the implications of the phrase “in good hands, this tool is capable of the finest work” is not after all beyond your reach.”
These are the initial words of the first chapter of Aldren Watson’s “Hand Tools: their Ways and Workings.” IMHO, this is a very very very good book.
Mel
Replies
After acquiring a new hand tool, I take it out to the shop for a little chat with some nice, calming smooth jazz playing in the background. I hold it in my hands, giving it a thorough exam with the doting eye of a country doctor, and listen to what it has to say. I give it reassurance that we'll make a fine team, and that I'll help it achieve Olympic-level performance through conditioning and some fettling. They always tell me how pleased they are in having found a good home, and that they'll always do their best. (ala "Try not, just do.")
Oh, and I'm selling shares in this lovely desert bridge here in New Mexico, if you're interested. ;-)
Ralph,
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FOR THAT BRIDGE?
Mel
For you, Mel, I make special deal. How much do you have to invest? ;-)
so, ralph,
you are in communication with the lumber in your shop and maintain an on-going dialogue with your tools as well...
eef
Dusty,
Of course you already knew this. I knew it, but I couldn't say it as good as Aldren did. I just scanned the folks who responded. It is a list of capable, knowledgeable people. I am hoping that some newbies notice it, and buy the book. It will help them immensely.
Here on Knots, newbies often ask:
Which plane should I buy first?
Should I buy LN or LV or are old Stanleys good enough?
The strange part is that people answer these questions, as if they are answerable. IMHO, the newbie couldn't understand the answer because he hasn't enough skill with the tools to be able do discern which advice he is getting is any good. The best thing for the newbie to do is to use someone else's tool or take a course, or get some experience with the tools, and then make expensive decisions. One time, years ago, Adam Cherubini and I got into it about giving advice about tools to folks who hadn't used the tools. That was fun. I miss Adam. Wonder where he went.
Have fun. Keep on making boxes. Keep on posting.
Mel
Sean,
You are the reason that I ordered Aldren's book. You told me about his ideas on Jack Rabbets. I agree with you. It is one of the best books on hand tools. I loved his ideas on the Jack Rabbet. He said that if you didn't have the cash to buy all the planes you need, just get a block plane and a Jack Rabbet, and you can do almost evereything. Quite interesting.
You give good advice, Sean. I am on my second reading of the book (late evenings). These days I am on a dovetail-box making kick. Am "honing skills". Nothing like massed practice to do that.
Have fun.
Mel
Dusty, You hit the nail square on the head, I tell my wife about the love of high end tools here, and there being the best to buy. I say to her (“If I cant make a $ 40.00 plane work, why will a $500.00 plane fix the problem?”.). I have always said you should start with what you can afford, and learn to use it, then think of up grading later. Our fore fathers learned that a long time ago, with no place to get out of the rain, and nothing to sit on, if you could. garyowen
Well, young Dusty.....
That statement you make: "its not what you have its what you know" is false. One must know in order to do, troo. However, a thing one comes to know is that a well-made and designed tool will enable a greater range of work, speed at the tasks and otherwise pleasurable increase in the doings one does know about. Conversely, a nasty tool will limit the doings severely, no matter how much one knows about that "do".
Try this test: larn-up on sea currents, weather and sailing then cross the Atlantic one way in a canoe with an old oar and sheet; go t'other way across in a stat- of-the-art sailing boat or even a liner. Ha! You may not live to try the second tool!
There is a simple logic lesson which is to do with erroneous getting of "the false negative from use of a true postive to exclude and mark other causes as untrue". It is a mental habit of those who believe in simple cause and effect (one cause for one effect). In this case, high knowledge does (its true) enable high woodwork. But it is not a sufficient condition. It's needfulness does not mean that the notion of a good tool allowing better work than a bad tool is false. Both (knowledge and good tools) contribute to good work.
ANd let us not forget the metaphysicals: will, intent, persistence; nor suitable timber, an available working environment and other physicals. In short, there are many, many causes of a woodworker doing good work.
One must have the associated physicals, along with the metaphysicals, to actually do good work. Knowledge must be implemented in concrete form with real objects (wood and tools). Masochists can struggle with their Grotty or post-war Wreckord (perhaps they will even get it to a semblance of good- order with a new blade, cap-iron, frog and 40 hours of fettling). However, I will give money to Mr Lee,Mr Lie-Nielsen or (especially) Mr Marcou instead.
These lads allow me to maximise my little bit of WW knowledge and skill. That Grotty Wreckord would just be a millstone holding me back. Indeed, one was, a decade ago. After many, many hours of frustration I gave it away then spent 8 years relying on power tools only, until various kind Knotters edoocated me about good handtools.....
Lataxe, who knows there is no simple law of cause and effect.
PS The scope of what there is to know and do with a good tool is an ever-expanding horizon - a joyful journey. A bad tool merely confines you to a dingy room with nowt but gruel for supper and a bad draft under the door. Of course, some lads may grow very fond of gruel and come to enjoy being chilled to the bone. There is no accounting for masochists and self-scourgers.
G'day, Sir Lataxe,
There's an old axiom, "It's a poor craftsman, that blames his tools." Poor, in the sense of not good, or inadequate. One might take that to mean that a good craftsman would not need to place any blame, that if he were competant, his work would speak for him and he needs no scapegoat.
But perhaps, it is also an acknowledgement that a competant craftsman would have adequate tools for the job at hand, and thus can do a good job of work without much ado.
Along those lines, my dad used to say, when someone complimented him on the contents of his toolchest (he was a heavy equipment mechanic), "I'm just a poor (in the sense of indigent or impoverished) mechanic, I can't afford cheap tools." He was of the opinion that eventually a cheap tool would induce such disgust at its inadequacies, a workman would fling it aside (money wasted), and get a better one (more money spent), as he should have done in the first place.
Now, I've been in situations where I've had to work with tools not my own, and certainly not to my liking. I once fitted a finial plinth to a tall clock case worth 5 figures, with nothing more than a MEAT SAW and my pocket knife, (It's a long story, and happened a long time ago.) and did so to the satisfaction of the clock's owner, who was standing by and watching. And I've seen quite a bit of beautifully executed workmanship on really pi$$poor quality materials. Maybe the esthetic sensibilities of times gone by were far different from ours, but I believe that at least to some degree, then as now, craftsmen sometimes made do, and did the best they could with what they had. Of course, then as now there are always the retired pensioners, like the old codger in Anna Karenina (or was it Dr. Zhivago?), who could potter around in his parlor turning ivory knicknacks on his ornamental lathe, with no restraints on either tool nor material costs;-))
Ray, who must confess to a certain weakness for brass and rosewood, whether it's functional or no
Raplph,
You must give up your regular slice of mushroom quiche - the one with those red and white speckly 'shrooms. You may find that the wood falls silent.
I often wonder, did that Krenov bloke get too close to the spalted timber with his nose? He too heard his timber talkin' and definitely looked like he had been at the quiche.
Lataxe, who learnt all about such matters in 1968, after reading Alice and coming across some blotting paper.....
"Shroom, shroom!" Isn't that
"Shroom, shroom!" Isn't that what the little kid says in the car commercials? ;-)
Chris,
sounds like you are communing with your planes and getting to know them, and trying to figure out what is real for you, as opposed to what others say. Sounds to me like you are very much in the vein of Aldren. If you haven't read the book, I heartily recommend it.
Have fun.
Mel
Mel,
Aldren's book is on my Amazon wish list, but I still have a dozen unread books on my bookshelf. As has been said many times, it's not what works for others, it's what works for you.
US: 6
Finland: 0
Mel:
Just last week, I was talking to a now-middle-aged athlete. Started in football, but because of injury turned to baseball and ended up in the minor leagues and now plays a mean game of golf.
Anyway, he tells me that despite all the so-called improvements in golf equipment, the overall scores of amateur players has not improved. So, all the investment by equipment manufacturers has resulted in nothing.
I am not at all surprised by this. But, for those with some innate talent the equipment does have an effect on performance. YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE SOME ABILITY OR TALENT. Does any amateur think they could beat Phil Mikelson if he had to use Bobby Jones era equipment? However, I am also sure he would come in last at the masters if he used said clubs.
Hastings
Dusty, old bod,
Perhaps the confusion arises because we sometimes equate good tools with complex/expensive and poor tool with simple/inexpensive. But, as your pocket-knife story shows, this is not necessarily the case. An excellent pocket knife may well be simple and only a few dollars but it surely matters that the blade may be made and kept sharp; that the handle may be gripped sufficiently well; that the tool does not constantly fall apart or distort during use?
Moreover, there are some very poor but ridiculously expensive and complex tools about. Consider the nuclear power station.
I know a swill maker (oak baskets) who uses very crude and simple tools - a sharp knife, a froe, a drawknife. He will certainly condemn any number of such tools as being inadequate to his needs, despite the fact that to the uninitiated all such tools look identical to others of their ilk. They are all simple but the inherent qualities of some (their material, shape, configuration) are vastly superior, for swill-making purposes, to others.
Some tools do benefit from more and better materials - can be made to function better, longer, with less effort and even less practice than other tools of lesser quality. Sometimes this makes them more complex and/or more expensive. The complexity and the expense contribute to their improved functionality, especially in the hands of a master, who may exploit their every capability.
Many classy photographers can take a good picture (composition-wise; and technically)with a pinhole camera, especially a well-made one with a clean hole, no light leak, flat film-back etc. They will take a much better one, in all liklihood, with a state-of-the-art DSLR and lens, especially if the lens and camera capabilities suit the subject matter and the light conditions are challenging.
Horsse for courses; best to avoid a 3-legged nag in all cases.
Lataxe, who likes to use words and would feel less capable of communicating if there were only 56 of them of three letters each; and only 3 vowels.
dusty,
Your carousel horse story reminded me of a story a fellow told me a few years back. He was a WWII vet, and served part of his hitch as a guard in a camp of German POW's. He had befriended one of the prisoners, and as a way of thanking him for some small favors, cigarettes and such, the German had given him a small inlaid box that he (the prisoner) had made to pass the time in camp. It was made from pieces of a packing crate, junk wood, nicely smoothed and joined, with a lid hinged with wire "cotter pin" hinges, and the top of the box was very prettily inlaid with a geometric design of lines. Built using such "tools" as might be found and allowed to prisoners in a post WWII facility. As I recall the story, the prisoner of war had been a trained woodworker before he was drafted into the army. The wood was surfaced with scrapers, the inlay was done with a broken end off a hacksaw blade. The point made by the fellow who showed me the box, was that there are few limits on what you can accomplish, if you don't limit yourself.
Maybe you are familiar with the story of "Carbine" Williams, the guy who invented the design for the M1 carbine, and carved the prototype out in the prison shop where he was incarcerated. Supposedly, the warden laughed, and told him to go ahead when he asked permission and showed him his design.
Ray
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