Don't buy new stanley planes????

Travis, are you sure Lie Nielsen worked for Lee Valley at one time? I think you might be thinking of Garrett Wade. He use to work there and I believe that is where he got his start in the business.

Hi Travis

I apologise if this appears like I am attacking you personally, because that is/was not my intent. I simply wanted to clarify a few points you raised since I did not wish readers to be left with what I consider to be incorrect information.

As far as I know, Thomas Lie-Nielsen has never been employed by Lee Valley. TLN started out working for Garrett Wade. It is well documented that, through his interaction with customers there, he became aware of the gap in specialist handtools ... tools that were no longer in production and yet were in demand.

I think that your choice of works ... "when they started out they wanted to piggyback off the success of Stanley and that was the point of my entire post" ... is unfortunate since this connotes that LN set out to ride on the tails of Stanley. This is not so. TLN started out by marketing a bronze copy of the Stanley #95 (edge plane) because there was a demand. The plane was built by someone else, and eventually he bought the rights to it. That was the first LN plane. The second was the #140 skew blockplane, which TLN did the casting for himself. There was no chosen strategy to use the name of Stanley to foster business. It was simply that the planes that were in demand were originally made by Stanley, whom had chosen not to be involved anymore. Stanley essentially began to abandon the market from the 50's.

The return of Stanley into the handtool market is largely due to a revitalised handtool market, which must be recognised to have been in part due to the success of LN and LV. For the past 40 years Stanley produced handplanes that were a disgrace. They actually lowered the standards. Their reputation exists from pre-WWII, and while many hope that they can regain their early standards, there is a lingering mistrust .. that they earned. Against the backdrop of this it is an insult to LN and LV to infer that they took advantage of Stanley, "stole" or piggybacked on their name. If anything, it is now Stanley who are piggybacking on the backs of LN and LV.

Here is an interview with TLN: http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/ProjectsAndDesign/ProjectsAndDesignArticle.aspx?id=27723

Regards from Perth

Derek

another thought

ok travis you mentioned some bad press towards rob lee and his business, but if yu recall he donated a gift certificate or two towards our forums advancement,, so to me that says he is a good guy not a bad guy!

Un petit bonjour du vieux continent !

I wish I could recall the name of that philosopher who said that invention in the fact of an intelligent man and copy of a genius. I wish I could buy what ever is their price any plane with a bevel down blade, a comfortable rear tote, a fix frog, an adjustable front sliding mouth, all with stainless steel casting.

Meanwhile those interested in that discussion may also have a look at the new Kunz http://www.woodworking.de/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/47330

Welcome to the Family Jean Pierre BADER

Travis, you seem to be backtracking on your accusation that LN and LV "Stole" anything from Stanley, is that true?

I very much agree with you Derek on your comment of how Stanley is now riding the coat tails of LN and LV, and I do with Stanley much success

I have a "great neck" jack plane. Never heard of one before right. Well B4 I aquired I hadn't either. When I got it a wasn't worth a piece of.... (oh I can't say that here). Any way. I spent a few hour tuning it and now it makes nice curls. Now what more could you ask. Oh BTW It was free.