Saying Goodbye to old friends

Forty-two years into this game, I have found myself bonding with a number of tools and machines in ways that many of you know well from your own experience as makers. I have rarely found myself in a position of letting any of them go.  But as we transition to a smaller shop with fewer hands at benches, we obviously have more than we need for what’s ahead.

The three planes I am letting go of come from a maker that I have come to know and greatly appreciate.  We have shared beers together, talked smack about a few things, and bartered for each other’s wares. I got to know Tom Lie-Nielsen more than twenty years ago when he called to express an interest in me designing spokeshaves for their production. What a privilege to be in that role! I have been honored to be a part of what they do.

But over the years I have bought a lot of their tools. More than I need moving forward.  It seems a shame to have some of them gathering dust even while I enjoy their presence on my plane rack.

Despite all this history, I have decided to look for new homes for planes we no longer need. I am sure you will find planes with the same numbers on Ebay or elsewhere for lower prices.  If that is your goal, that opportunity is there for you.  But these tools are my friends, and I want to make sure they find good homes, not bargain hunters.

My #8 jointer arrived at my shop in Berea over 20 years ago,  so this one holds the most stories.  The #62 low angle arrived not long after.  The # 7 ½  low angle jointer came much more recently, but in many ways, is harder to let go of.  I had plans for spending a lot more time with this one. It possesses unique qualities I had intentions of exploring further than

Lie-Nielsen makes a good plane and I have done what I can to make each of these better than when I opened the box they arrived in. I hope that those that decide to pony up to re-home these sweet planes enjoy them as much as I have. 

Click the links below to hear Brian talk about these handplanes and their unique qualities.

To purchase one of these planes, Click below.