Bridge City Toolworks *LINK*

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Dale Stansbery

>I don't know much more about the company than you do. But, they offer a lifetime warranty on their tools for $5, I believe, to return one for repair or replacement, abuse excluded. They come out with a commemorative tool annually that's always a little exotic for collectors, not really for use.

The only reason I know this is that I bought a bunch of them to put on Ebay, did a little research, and did pretty well. They seem to hold their value fairly well. I don't think I'd ever see justifying the cost of a new one for shop use.

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Never purchased anything from them - when you're used to spending $5 for a bench plane, with some dirt and dead spiders thrown in for free, it's hard to get used to 11,000% of that amount for a plane, regardless of how articulate the lever cap is (if I want articulate, all I have to do is drop by our Academic Senate meetings).

On a more serious note, my impression of Bridge City is that they do high grade tools with serious extra money spent on prettiness. Fine for those who can afford it, I guess, and better spent there than on Las Vegas, but I think equally fine, even if somewhat less exotic, tools are available for much less from other sources.

Re: Bridge City Toolworks *LINK*

Greg Phillips, Berrien Springs, MI

>The company is located in Portland, OR (hence the name Bridge City). I have been down to their building and had the opportunity to watch them work. I have only bought one of their tools - a 3" square that I purchased as a gift for my father-in-law. Their tools are very nice and are very well-made. They are also (obviously) very expensive.

The company was started by John Economaki. I think he was a high-school shop teacher before he started the company. IIRC, there was a write-up on him and Bridge City in Hack's book on handplanes. My copy is still packed after a move 8 months ago, so I can't check to be sure.

Cheers,

Greg

BTW, Economaki posted a response here on the hand tool forum a while back as part of a long and somewhat heated thread regarding ad copy from a Bridge City catalog.


Economaki's Post

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Gary in Vancouver, BC

>Say want you want about BCT's "jewery" or it's marketing "hype", I always find their tools on ebay are bid on aggressively and sell for top dollar (near retail). Certainly indicates their tools are in demand and retain their value.

I don't believe everyone just collects these tools to put on the shelve either. I own 3 of their tools that are consistently used. Two are try squares (AS-7, AS-14)that are adjustable for ensuring squareness. The other is the spider divider, which I have found to be surprizingly useful. Will I buy more of their tools? Maybe, but I closely examine my needs against spending that kind of money and in most cases I can find another product offering that is much more cost effective. I believe we all try to balance value for money on our tool purchases. This is what makes BCT's tool pricing seem so outrageous.

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Todd Stock

>For a good long while, BCT was one of the few companies making higher quality measuring and marking tools - a BCT square was somewhat expensive, but still on par with a Starrett. Their straight edges and rulers were also pretty good and priced with B&S, etc.

In the '90s, BCT seemed to have run out of steam on useful tools and proceeded into stuff that was sometimes a bit silly. That said, their block plane was rated as a top performer by the FWW folks, so they still know how to make a well designed and machined tool when cost is no object. Think they were recently purchased by August Home Publishing (ShopNotes, etc).

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Roger Bell, Oregon

>BCTW has been around for quite awhile (perhaps 20 years?). Based in Portland, Oregon and founded by John Economaki. They apparently fell upon some hard times in the last economic downturn and the company was bought out maybe a year or two ago. However, Mr. Economaki remains with the company and, AFAIK, still does most of the tool design. The company has a good reputation in Portland's business circles.

They used to have "scratch and dent" sales in Portland once a year where so-called "blems" were sold for very substantial discounts. I believe they still offer blems if you sign up for their internet mailing list. Around here, you occasionally encounter them used. I have got several of their tools either as blems or as used. The ones that see regular use include a rosewood marking/mortise gauge, a 24" ruler, an adjustable square, a very large machinist's protractor and the spider divider. I don't own any of their planes, although I have had the chance to handle their earlier block plane offerings. IMO, the quality is on par with Starrett for the measuring tools. The planes appear to be at least as good as LN. They are very well made and exceptionally well finished. I would not characterize anything I have examined as either of poor quality or of dubious design.

I won't engage in the discussion as to whether or not their tools (or LN's or Harbor Freight's, for that matter) are "worth" the price, since that (as well as appreciation of fine things in general) is a purely subjective matter and it is self evident that one can do just as good work with tools far cheaper. Apparently there are enough people who feel they are worth it, since I am certain that I can sell any of my BCTW tools for more than I paid for them. And when they have one of their sales here in Portland, there are lines of what appear to me to be ordinary guys waiting for them to open up.

Their warranty is good

Neal (San Jose)

>I bought a "blem" square from their booth at a tool show many years ago. A trip to the floor threw it way out of square, as you might expect. I boxed it up and sent it to them with a check for $5.00, and it was back in my hands fully readjusted in about a week. They even paid the return postage. I've since added a few others.

I know I could get by with a much less expensive tool, but sometimes a well made tool, whether a current production one like BCT, or an old Spiers plane, somehow inspires me to do better work myself.

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

jared

>remove 1 for email

I attended Iowa State University starting in 1969 and graduating in 1973 as an Industrial Engineer. The first two years i was there i lived in a dorm and this same John Economaki lived just down the hall from me. He was taking classes to be a high school shop teacher. I lost track of him after I moved out of the dorm. The thing I do remember about him is that I had a large after shave lotion bottle that was shaped like an ancient soldiers head with a helmet on it etc. He took it and made a cast aluminum copy of it for one of his classes. He grew up in Des Moines as I remember getting a ride down there one time with him. The other thing I remember is that he had a fine looking girl friend. I did correspond briefly with him a number of years ago, pre-email days, when I discovered that he was in Seattle and had his name in the BCTW catalogs. A small world. Jared

by the way I am no longer an engineer but have been a farmer for the last 29 years

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

R.J.Whelan

>Mr. Economacki was a furniture builder and was not having much selling success when he chanced to show a square he'd built to Sam Maloof; Mr. Maloof advised him to build tools instead of furniture - a business was born.

I own several pieces, use them constantly and have never regretted the money spent (don't own any of the planes) - the squares are first class; saddle square and DT square look kind of gimmicky but they work well and simplify layout of M&Ts and DTs greatly ... rj

A lot of spider dividing going on here

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>So, I'm curious - what's a spider divider?

I realize that this may be the week's best straight line, but I assume there's a serious answer, in addition to the not-so-serious ones that will come flooding in.

Re: A lot of spider dividing going on here

Dan Moening in foggy Sacramento

>If I am imagining a spider divider correctly it is a hinged device that is used to equally divide a span.

As you stretch the divider apart the 8 (or however many) pencil points spread equally apart.

You know how a compass with a trammel on one side and a pencil on the other looks? Imagine 8 of these connected together.

Dan.

I have been wrong before. ;)

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

Lyn J. Mangiameli

>How very interesting, as the bankrupt BCT which Economaki largely owned (I believe there was some sort of shareholding as well) was purchased by a business headquarted in Iowa.

BC LA Smoother Thread *LINK*

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>Hi Jon,

Here is the BCTW thread referred to elsewhere:


Bridge City Toolworks LA Smoother Thread

Re: Bridge City Toolworks

paul womack

>The other is the spider divider, which I have found to be surprizingly useful.

I assume you mean this

this one look like it'll do the same job.

I'd assume it's less accurate, but DT spacing only needs to be "visually" accurate.

You can send me the $195 - 12 GBP difference :-)

BugBear

DT spacing

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Dividers and a ruler? Even cheaper, and I'll take the $195 from anyone who hasn't already sent it to BugBear.