Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Garret/Wade
Steve Mackay
>Now that I can afford ( once in a while ) finner & vintage tools, I can actually afford to look at the Garret /Wade catalogue and not just drool. Am I just the proverbial novice or are they insanly high priced for what you get ?
Yep!
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond,CA
>They are a bit on the high side. Look at their web site now and again. They put stuff on sale now and again at very good prices.
Re: Garret/Wade
Todd Stock
>GW used to be the place to go, but I think that other retailers have the edge on quality tool porn these days. Way back when, GW and Woodcraft were about it for full-line catalog sales/retail; now there's Highland Hardware, Lee Valley, and half a dozen others, with some hand tool-only store-front/Internet shops like Tools for Working Wood.
The really unique stuff might only be available direct from the maker, such as Blue Spruce marking knives, Knight wooden planes, etc. With at least one of the big woodworking retailers showing a disturbing tendency towards marketing Asian knock-offs of high-end, limited production tools from folks such as Glen-Drake, I think some of the one and two person shops are relying on word-via-Web to avoid drawing too much fire before establishing a quality-based presence.
Look around and ask questions before you start throwing money around...you may find that used tools, as well as those from smaller manufacturers, are a better deal than the over-hyped stuff from some suppliers.
Also - a word of caution...while some catalogs do a good job of covering the shortcomings of lower end tools, others seem to me to be edging away from this practice. I'm not certain as to whether they are simply carrying a narrower line of tools (less expanation needed as to why prices vary for a similar item), or just competitive pressure from the other 100 or so tool retailers.
Re: Garret/Wade
les winter
>Hi.
I've been a customer of Garrett Wade for around 20 years. I must say that they are declining in both value and quality. They seem to be moving towards things made in China, along with household products, like bar-b-q grills, toys and such. My first choice, these days, is Joel (Tools for Working Wood). The only thing I go to Garrett Wade for is parts for my Inca jointer/planer and the occassional quart of finish.
Our needs here lean to the esoteric. Garrett Wade is moving away from that.
Too bad. At one time, they were great.
lw
Re: Garret/Wade
Steve Mackay
>Les ; Thank you sir. Yes, when you start moving beyond Ace hardware tools it is a different orbit.I've seen the words esoteric (sp), purist and traditional thrown around a lot. Prefer eccentric myself. Thanks all for the guidance !
Re: What you need instead...
William Duffield, on the Cohansey
>...is catalogs from Lee Valley (Woodworking Tools and Hardware), Lie-Nielsen, Tools For Working Wood, Woodworker's Supply, and MSC. Those should get you started.