It is a regrettable fact of contemporary life,
that the quality of many important hand
tools for woodwork has declined.
In almost every tool shop and catalogue
the same brand names occur. Tools are
packaged and sold in the same way as
most other consumable commodities.
The tradesman purchases the standard
mass produced item in its plastic bubble
and card sachet. These tools may be
adequate for the 'Do It Yourself' market,
and for the outfits which place speed and
profit before quality, and they provide the
manufacturers with sales and profits. But
for the kind of work that interests me, most
modern tools are inadequate.
For example, many modern saws are
tempered to be exceedingly sharp, but
cannot be resharpened, and are intended
to be disposable. They have unpleasant
crudely shaped plastic handles, which
disregard the structure and sensitivity of
the human hand. Such a handle may suffice
for someone who seldom uses a saw, but
not for me.
At the end of the 19th. century and early
in the 20th. high quality saws were made
from the best possible steel, carefully
tempered, crowned and balanced to
give a true and easy cut, meant to last a
lifetime or longer.
The handles were exquisitely shaped, so that
they could be gripped all day without
raising a blister.
That's the kind of saw I like, one that I can
enjoy using, and resharpen myself, again and
again.
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