Anant Tools--the new Stanley?
Alan Hamilton
>On another thread, that I can't now find, someone wrote about Anant's greatly expanded product line. I checked out their web site today.
WOW!
In addition to a Stanley #45 knock-off, that's remarkable enough all by itself, they have plow planes, rabbet planes, moving filletsters, blah blah blah. And it doesn't end with planes: they now make chisels, sharpening guides, trowels, and who knows what all else.
I know quality is a concern with Anant tools, considering the cost and their place of manufacture; but regardless, I really have to credit them with what they're doing--or trying to do. They now have a very ambitious line of products. Apparently they're trying to fill the void left by Stanley, Record, and the rest, who have abandoned the manufacture of low price, but perfectly serviceable tools. I hope they succeed and I wish them well.
There's one rather important thing that I didn't find on their site: where does one go to buy these marvelous new toy...er...tools? I browsed my usual new-tool purveyors' sites--the same ones known to all--but I couldn't find much. What outfits carried Anant tools at all didn't carry very many of them. Generally, the stores essayed only iron bench planes and maybe a block plane or two. Nothing else. Nada.
So, does anyone know where I can go to actually buy these beasts? or at least put my hands on one? I really don't need to fondle them, E-commerce would be fine. It seem to me that Anant would be very interested in seeing we potential tool-buyers can actually purchase their products. I wonder why their web site didn't steer me to a purveyor of their wares. I once took a course or two in economics: as I now recall, it's usually considered a good thing that people can buy a firm's products!
Anyone?
Alan