Bob Lang
. . . something to a woodworker is to first convince him that he couldn't possibly accomplish a task without the assistance of your jig, gizmo, method or expertise. Get over that hurdle (which is easy when the beginning woodworker starts off by saying "I don't know anything about . . .") and you can build a franchise. A lot of people who come to woodworking as a hobby are convinced that it's possible to buy their way around the practice it takes to develop skills, and there are a lot of people that enable them in that pursuit.

Not many people would pick up a magazine with cover lines that said "Master Dovetails in 500 Hours" or "Secrets to Sharpening: Practice Until You Get It Right". There is a steady market for the latest and greatest set of training wheels, and many of the people who write about these things don't have much experience beyond what they do for publication, and aren't ready, willing or able to give up the training wheels themselves.

When you get right down to it, there aren't that many skills to develop to be an accomplished woodworker. The number one skill in my mind is the ability to problem solve, and I don't think you really learn that by throwing money at the problems we all face early on.

Bob Lang