katrix

2300$???? May as well be a million dollars. Maybe I can be an idiot, cut myself on a cheaper saw, win a lawsuit lottery and afford one of these saws.

Both of my two passions, music and woodworking, were introduced to me at a public middle school, and as a young girl, there was no other venue to gather this kind of exposure to woodwork in particular.

I took what was called 'design and technology' and I excelled at it, being motivated by the tools, the projects and most importantly for the young student, the completed product. Never having been a particularly attentive student, I found myself moved to work through my lunch hour to finish such important works of art as a chessboard and a turned bowl.

After middle school I never did any more shop classes, but the memory of working with tools and wood never left me. I dropped out of University to become a cabinetmaker, and eight years later (also having finished my degree)my love for woodworking is growing. I would never have had this door opened for me if it hadn't been for those classes, and I have always thanked my teacher for being so encouraging.

I find it very discouraging to know that these courses are being cut from public schools. I have definitely seen how a lack of practical knowledge about the way the world around us works is epidemic among young people. Cutting these courses, which were some of the most challenging, interesting and stimulating ( a much needed break from Math and English, sitting at a desk, looking out the window), is a huge mistake. I don't know any students who didn't enjoy at least the difference in atmosphere in the learning environment.

Many of us make and repair wood furniture because we believe objects, well crafted and well maintained, are inherently more valuable than a thoughtless design built solely for profit, sanded to death and overproduced. We believe these will last, stand the test of time or what have you. At least, I hope they will.

By buying tools that are well built, we as consumers demand tools be well built, and ensure they will continue to be so. But we have to remember that part of the reason we have 20, 30, 40, year old tools still being fixed is that they are EASY to fix: easy to open, easy to get at the parts for repair, and easy to get the replacement parts. Generally, the cheaper the tool, the harder this is-they are made to be one-offs. The idea that anything is indestructible, whether it be a furniture finish, a tool, or a car, is a silly gimmick. Everything breaks down, and wears down, and if this principle is engineered into the object, the simpler and less time consuming it is to fix it.

So I don't just look for tools that are 'quality', I look for tools that aren't a pain in the long term, whether by frustrating to use or to fix. Cause they always, always die at the worst time, and the faster I can get them back up and running, whether by fixing them myself or by supporting a repair shop, the better.