BlueEnamel

Here's a couple of comments:
1. Every patent claim can be challenged in court. Just because a patent is granted, it doesn't mean that it is valid. There are patents on mind reading devices, etc. If the patent claim(s) are weak, or too broad, or prior art exists, the particular claims can be dismissed. It all depends on whether the patent was written well enough.
2. If SawStop technology is mandated, is SawStop liable for any injuries that occur on a machine that has the SawStop technology on it? If so, then if another dumbass decides to disable/bypass the safety mechanism because he's cutting wet, pressure treated wood that continually trips the blade arresting technology, and he rams his hand into the blade, who is liable?

Now let me get this straight. There's a way to do this with electricity? You're kidding, right?

What do you mean "the plane iron just hit the floor?"

Although the hobbyist woodworker does not necessarily have the social responsibility, they should still have a responsibility to self. If they are not putting their best effort into the task, then they are compromising their integrity for the sake of expediency or mediocrity.

Even if the results are not perfect, if it is the craftsman's best effort, then they have done their duty to self. They can do no better. They can increase their skill and achieve better results, but the effort is an honest one, not one of compromise.

That same issue is reflected in a significant portion of society where "doing your best" or "doing the right thing" gets whittled down in the name of competitiveness or profit.

What do you mean? There are other ways to make a groove?

OK, who brought the cool kid with the hand planes?

As AeroClassics posted, the margin on the power tools is not all that much. My father owned a small engine power equipment business for 20 years and that is the case there as well. That $2000 brand name snow blower would usually have a $200-300 profit associated with it. That does not factor in the costs of financing, storage, and insurance either. Similar margins on chainsaws, etc. about 10-20% depending on what it was. Parts and consumables were the only items that had margins of 30%.

I don't know if there are any pricing agreements between WC and the major tool manufacturers or if an individual store gets the "WC franchise" volume discount from the mfg. A good case is the Pfeil carving tools. Up until a few years ago, the prices were overly inflated. I could get the same tools from a dealer in Canada at 15-20% cheaper (including shipping, import fees, exchange rate, etc.) than I could at WC. They never had serious stock issues either, where I was on a waiting list for over a year for a gouge from WC. So why was there such a price difference? I couldn't NOT buy from the dealer in Canada. They had the price and selection for the same tools. Finally, WC dropped their prices a few years ago and the price differences are not as drastic.

My comments regarding the price and selection of some of the hand tools is more a reflection on the lack of demand or interest in quality products, and not on WC's pricing policy. They have to make enough of a profit on the merchandise to cover all of the operating costs every day they're open. They also have to make enough profit to cover other "opportunity" costs (i.e. profit needs to be as good or better as other opportunities for investment at the same level of risk ). Otherwise, they lose money and go out of business.

I also agree that a plane is just a plane, and a handsaw is just a handsaw. My favorite plane is an old Stanley #7 (non-Bedrock, but pre WW-II) plane. I got it at a yard sale or flea market for $40 or so. Same with many of the other planes I have. Numerous old Stanley clones, some good and some that needed major work. Mostly #5s. Properly tuned up and with a good blade and chip breaker, most of these will perform as well as a the high end planes on the typical wood. Extremely figured stuff might be a different story. The same is true with handsaws. Properly tuned and sharpened, and they cut as good, or better, than the boutique (LN, Adria, etc.) saws.

I can see how something like this could happen from both sides. LN's issues as explained in the article are valid. Same with WC's issues about supply and demand issues. The interesting part is how the WoodRiver planes fit into the picture. This is how I figured things unfolded:

Woodcraft used to have a line of reasonably affordable planes that were the bulk of their plane sales. These were the Stanley and/or Record planes. When both of those companies stopped producing planes, Woodcraft was stuck with the high end LN with nothing to fill the gap. The price of the LN planes is high enough for most people to think twice about buying one, so the volume is relatively low and the profit margin even lower. WC may have even tried squeezing LN on the price. Just like the big box stores do to name brand manufacturers.

So there was a dearth of mid-level planes until the Groz and Anant planes came out. Unfortunately, the quality of those tools was not even close to the recent Stanley tools. So, WC addressed the issue w/ a line of their own (WoodRiver). So, now they have the middle level planes again. Good for WC. That just makes good business sense. My guess is that they are Chinese copies of LN planes. I bet the differences between the two can be measured in thousandths of an inch.

If my suspicions about the design copying are correct (same happens w/ CDs, DVDs, software etc. China doesn't recognize, or enforce copyright protection much ), then LN has all the right in the world to complain and take whatever action they feel is necessary. Granted, their designs are heavily based on the old Stanley/Bailey designs. But at least Stanley was not producing those exact planes anymore. Also, it might seem like they are cutting off their nose to spite their face, but at least it is on their terms now.

Overall, I am disappointed in WC over the past few years. Granted, they are responding to market trends, but the lack of quality, mid level hand tools is annoying. They used to carry several Sorby mortising chisel types, paring chisels, etc. Now the selections are reduced to one or two pages, with prices that are a bit crazy. Maybe that is what the tools list for, but I have trouble spending over $50 for a 1" bench chisel. Aftermarket blades for planes are getting squeezed by the WoodRiver line as well.

I see the same thing starting to happen w/ turning tools. The Pinnacle and WoodRiver tools are shadows of what a good tool should be. Luckily, the Crown and Sorby tools are still there, but for how long?

From a business perspective, I can see why this is done. You need to show profit and growth to the investors. One way is to charge more, the other is to develop an in-house product that competes with the market leaders at a better profit margin.

The only choices left are to find other vendors, pay exorbitant prices for high end tools, hunt ebay, yard sales and flea markets, or make your own. Luckily, other vendors still exist, and the science and art of tool making is not quite lost yet.

Now where did I put that spare blower for the forge ....

-- BlueEnamel

For J_Free: I was in a similar when first starting up. I was renting a duplex at the time, so I had a part of a basement to work in, but it was small (8x12 or so). The first thing I built was a bench. It wasn't anything crazy. Just some 2x4s w/ 24" x 8' x 3/4" ply for a top. It was attached to the floor joists above w/ screws.

The only power tools I had at the time were a Skil 10" benchtop table saw on a stand, an old craftsman router, a saber saw, a drill, and a skilsaw.

For hand tools, I had a jack plane(Dunlop) and a block plane(Stanley), some hand saws, a set of Marples blue handle chisels, a bevel gauge, a couple of cutting/marking gauges, a combination 1000/6000 grit waterstone, and an xacto knife. I used the waterstone and sandpaper on plate glass for sharpening. Some of the tools were yard sale finds and some were new.

A good vise is key. After using a cheap vise for a month, I splurged and bought a Record 53. Unfortunately, Record no longer makes them. The same design is now made by either Groz or Anant. I have no idea of the quality of them now.

Probably the best investment I made that improved my joinery was to buy a really good combination square. Aside from the typical layout tasks, you can check the sides of dovetails and mortise walls for perpendicular, and tenon faces for consistent height.

So, my hand tool suggestions for getting started would be:
12" combination square (Starrett, Brown&Sharpe, Mitutoyo)
1/4", 1/2", 1" chisels
Mallet or hammer for driving chisels
Jack(#5) or smoothing plane(#4)
Sandpaper(240,320,400,600,800,1000,1200,1500,2000 grit) and a piece plate glass for sharpening (short term cheap solution)
Cutting or marking gauge (a maple one is fine)
Small, fine tooth, backsaw for joinery. Crown makes a good one. I've used Eberle ones, and they work fine as well.
4" X-Slim or XX-Slim triangular file for sharpening the saw
Xacto knife for marking and general cutting
Bevel gauge -- or make one/improvise

Good book(s) on using hand tools and/or high quality classes if you can afford the time and money. Nothing beats being taught by a professional face to face.

Good luck,

-- Mike