no more Lie-Nielsen at Woodcraft

Just got this in my e-mail from Fine woodworking.http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/22352/lie-nielsen-toolworks-and-woodcraft-part-ways

No matter what they say, I think it's pretty clear it had do with Woodcrafts own line of planes....

may have had to do with pricing as well,, this way LN can make it a LN price only no middle men and there for keep there pricing higher. but they do make nice planes

Do I believe that the reasons for Lie Nielsen and Woodcraft parting ways are:

1. " as the popularity of Lie-Nielsen tools has grown the Maine toolmaker found it at times difficult to meet the demand created by the Woodcraft stores"

2. "Lie-Nielsen was concerned about the service that potential customers received at the stores, where the tools were kept locked in a glass case and where, he says, store clerks were not always able to provide critical advice about how to choose and care for their products"

In a word, no. Myself, I believe it has to do with protecting the pricing of Lie Nielsen products, thereby increasing the margins realized on each sale. Do I have a problem with Lie Nielsen trying to manage their margins like this? Again no. I like them to be successful because they are producing products that I am very interested in. It is in my best interest that they are successful.

I am just a little irritated that they think so little of everyone's intellect to feed us this mumbo jumbo of reasons for the change in distribution.

I won't discuss why I feel the above reasons stated by Lie Nielsen's are so flaky, except I want to unequivocally state that I have been in many Woodcraft stores all over the country and have always had them provide great and well informed assistance with the Lie Nielsen products. I can understand that there may be some conflict between corporate Woodcraft and Lie Nielsen, but most all of the Woodcraft stores are franchises run by woodworkers. You could not ask for better group of people to have a retail experience with.

All that being said, I am looking forward to the new products that Lie Nielsen will be bringing out soon.

IM sorry, I read that article, the first reason about supply and demand makes no sense to me.
Would it be better if the product sat on shelves and never sold?

Wow, my local Woodcraft in Stanton, CA was one of the Woodcraft stores that will continue to carry LN tools. That's great news.

Mike

Bill Satko said:

...I have been in many Woodcraft stores all over the country and have always had them provide great and well informed assistance with the Lie Nielsen products...

Click to expand...

That's NOT been my experience. I have two Woodcraft stores within a hundred miles or so, and neither of them have people knowledgeable re the LN line. At one store, they couldn't tell or show me much about their new Wood River line, either. Their display had a loose tote, and the blade installed bevel-up. The store owner, when I asked about it, didn't see any problem.

I personally like to touch and feel the tools I buy. Couldn't do it with the lathe or bandsaw but when you see other manufactures with identical looking pieces with only the color that appears to be different its kind of hard to justify twice the dollar amount. Seeing the router lift in person compared to some of the other brands out there sealed the deal for me. Otherwise I still wouldn't have one right now.