UK made tools

[^woody^]

I've been looking at replacing and acquiring some new hand tools recently, and came across this website which gives a good idea of what tools are still made in the UK and so may have some remaining quality of yore.

https://ukmade.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/british-made-tape-measures/

This explains why many tools seem the same even if they have a different manufacturer - included some from familiar brands.

There are also links on that site to companies and products in general which are no longer UK based or made - a bit of an eye-opener

 

[big-all]

the trouble you have is only somthing like 12% off the content needs to be british and assembled in britain to call it a uk product

 

[EddieM]

I've got some Henry Taylor chisels which are made in Sheffield from steel produced in Sheffield.

 

[^woody^]

I ordered a low angle block plane recently to see what the fuss was all about. I found a Spear and Jackson model on offer for about £13 instead of around £20.

When it came, the gold S&J logo - which seemed like it was cast into the body in the photos, was in fact a loose stick on label. In addition the plane seems identical to others from Irwin and Stanley at double or treble the price, and also matches various other branded or no-name brands which I have seen for as little as £11 on ebay! They are probably all made in the same factory in China, and just go down a different label process.

I'm not too fussed as I can check and flatten the bed if necessary and hone the blade (or swap it) and it otherwise seems quite serviceable. But next time I may just as well just buy the no-name version at less cost and not pay for branding - which adds no value nowadays.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Seems a tad out of date with a reference to Clico - the hand planes ("Clifton") transferred Flynn's (makers of Garlick, Pax, Dorchester hand saws, etc) a few years back. Also seems to have missed out Ashley Iles who are best known for their carving chisels but who are the only firm I know of in Europe making proper thin bevel edge (cabinetmakers) chisels as opposed to the thick, clumsy "bevel edge firmer") chisels made by others. Try chopping a fine dovetail joint and you soon see the difference.

As to your cheapo block plane , if you put it up against a half decent plane you'd soon tell the difference starting with the amount of slop in the blade adjuster, not to mention better planes generally having far better blades. It depends what you need from the tool though

 

[Ryler]

Who ever came up with "King Dick" for spanners?
Imagine walking into a large store and asking the female counter assistant where the "King Dick" aisle is?

She tells you and you reply with.. Is that beside the Titman router bits?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

They are/were really high quality spanners. In the 1970s they were still called Abingdon King Dick - King Dick was a champion bulldog owned by the founder in the mid-19th century. Titman router cutters (better than Trend) are named after the founder, Mr Titman

Some people have the minds if school children, honestly.

My friend Biggus Dickus has a wife you know - Incontinentia Buttocks.......

 

[Keithmac]

I'll just get my bastard file (oh how we laughed at school..).

I've noticed a lot of Snap-on kit looks identical to stuff on ebay, their caliper windback kit for one..

I've had a hell of a time buying a ratcheting crimping tool for Shrinkwrap coated crimps, ended up buying some from China unfortunately (£20 a pair, some identical ones at £80+..).

Seems you really are paying for a name sometimes..

 

[EddieM]

All I can say is Essex Flange and Strap on Boss.

 

[^woody^]

As to your cheapo block plane , if you put it up against a half decent plane you'd soon tell the difference starting with the amount of slop in the blade adjuster, not to mention better planes generally having far better blades. It depends what you need from the tool though

My view of today's high-cost tools is that there is a lot of brand fan-boi-ism, too many Youtube experts telling us what brands we should be buying, and above all the cost of many those tools is complete bolllacks.

By the time I've checked the sole, mouth, chip breaker and adjuster and polished the blade, I can guarantee this cheapo will be as good as any. The only unknown will be the blade hardness, but that's easily sorted if need be. I've been fortunate to have worked with some brilliant old chippies back in the day and I've remembered a lot of their advice regarding what a tool needs to do, and no way is it necessary to pay hundreds more for no better performance.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Oh, really? I wasn't talking Lie-Nielsen prices, but quite frankly a lot of the Chinese stuff on the market is complete garbage which no amount of fettling will turn into a good tool. Passable, maybe, good, never.

 

[^woody^]

I recently bought a no5 plane for £13 something new - the stick on label said "Senator" before I peeled it off. Checking it over everything is more or less perfect, sole is flat and true, sides are square for my shooting board, adjuster is nice and the blade honed well and seems like a good one. The only thing that needed some work was the casting around the mouth was a bit rough and needed filing. The handles appeared to be black plastic in the photos, but they turned out to be painted hardwood, and may well be rosewood by the looks of the non-painted bits. The handle is comfortable too. I've compared it to an old Record and Bailey and there is no difference and it cuts and handles just the same, so I can't see how a £2/3/400 plane is going to perform any better.

I've just got some odd-leg calipers, and the only ones I could seem to find were from Moore and Wright (Sheffield). Reading the net, everyone raves about "Moore and Wright" and how much better quality these are than the cheep Chinese junk. Bearing in mind that calipers are just two stamps of metal, and pin and a bolt, how can there be much difference in quality?. As it turns out, there is not, these are just the same as my other cheap Chinese junk calipers and they open and close the same and mark out the same.

This ties in with my philosophy on planes. Flat sole and a sharp blade is all that is needed, and the rest is down to the user.

 

[EddieM]

Each to their own, I lust after a set (set! there's loads of them) Lie Neilson planes (bronze of course) They're pure tool po*n

 

[frutbunn]

Who ever came up with "King Dick" for spanners?
Imagine walking into a large store and asking the female counter assistant where the "King Dick" aisle is?

She tells you and you reply with.. Is that beside the Titman router bits?

I've got loads of King Dick, sockets, spanners etc, top stuff

 

[Ryler]

If you can afford good tools and make use of them in your chosen trade then that's the way to go. IMO
Now and again I bring some of my Veritas and Lie Neilson tools to the site.
To let the plebs and the commoners see and feel the supreme quality.