Thomas Skaggs, Foothills of Mount Level
>Sometimes the choice of tools is simply a matter of choice. Some folks simply choose to work with older tools and some with new ones. The tools I like to work with the most are the ones that work well for me.

Example...I have a set of LN bench chisels. I also have my first set of chisels...a set of Marples blue chips. I love the LN chisels. But why do I so often find myself reaching for my old Marples? Because they work well for me and I am comfortable with them.

Then there are guys who make a living with tools who simply can't afford new, top of the line tools. I know a guy in southern Indiana who is a remarkable craftsman. He works in an old leaky barn in the country. His tools look like leftovers from a garage sale. But his work is excellent. The one thing I noticed about his tools is that he kept them sharp and he respected them. We talked about tools for a while and I came to learn two things: Despite being a busy professional woodworker he didn't have a budget for "upgrading" his tools. And I also learned that he didn't see "upgrading" as a priority because the tools he owned already gave him the results he wanted.

I don't have any sage wisdom here, just some observations for what they are worth.

Tom