Denis Chénard, Orléans, Ont.
>James,

I started writing a long-winded reply then decided against it so as not to drag this discussion endlessly...

In a nutshell, if you're saying that one doesn't need new shiny tools to do good work, I will agree to a good extent.

If you are saying to forget all new tools altogether, and that old tools are as good, I will differ strongly. True, there's lots of hype out there, and many new tools and gizmos aren't worth spending money on. But there are tools out there that are genuine improvements over what was done before, and those tools would be beneficial to anyone, including beginners. And there are also a bunch of old tools that are dogs, and the fact that one can buy them today in very good condition is often a testimony to their crankiness/uselessness (Read Pat Leach's description of the Stanley 55 for a good laugh). The trick is to separate the wheat from the chaff (is that how the expression goes?).

So if I were to offer advice it would be something like this:

Core set of tools. Buy the best you can afford, otherwise you will upgrade eventually (i.e. cry only once). Do not buy anything that you don't have an immediate need for. Old or new tools, the choice should reflect the time vs. money balance. Learn to saw, and most important learn to sharpen. And practice, practice, practice.

Of course, I did not follow most of my own advice :-)

Take care,

DC