We all know, a hack blames their tools and a craftsman can make even a bad tool work. Mostly. I am a fair hack. Always bought tools "good enough" Never considered high end or boutique tools as really being better performing, even if nicer to hold, prettier etc.
Well, I have changed my tune. While I am working to improve my skills from homeowner carpentry hack to true woodworking craftsman ( yes, I expect it to take the rest of my life) I have found many of my tools were NOT trustworthy. Squares not square. Saws that did not cut strait, chisels that dulled or rolled too quick, sharpening tools and jigs that messed up the geometry. Router bits, drill bits, bandsaw blades, and even sandpaper. I know this as I compare one to one at the same time. If I get the same results several tines, ( even if poor) I know it is me. If the result is variable, it may be the tool.
Now, some good enough are, well good enough. A well tuned Bailey plane cuts just as well as a Bedrock, just harder to adjust. An old exhaust valve is a perfectly good burnisher, but a nice one with a proper handle is easier to use.
Simple: When I screw up, I know it is me and I need to practice that skill, not the tool. I can build the skill easier if I trust the tool. It is also cheaper to buy a tool once. I have also learned a lot of the tools I bought over the years were not the right tool. Too many years I have used a #4 smoother when I should have been using a #5.
Of course, the level of trust varies with the tool. It is not always price. I actually have some HF tools that are trustworthy. I love my plastic handle 3/8 ratchet over my Snap-on. I grew up believing Craftsman wrenches were trustworthy, until I almost broke my hand when a ratchet popped lose. ( happened on two wrenches) I bought some expensive Snap-On flat screw-drivers. Nice, but the did not fit standard screw heads! ( I use 1/4 bits in magnetic handles now) . I hated square drive screws until I bought a higher quality bit and different brand of screws. ( Hint, Kreg are crap) I still like Torx better.
And lastly, tuning a good enough tool may make it the same as a top end tool. Recently learned to sharpen my hand saws. My "modern" Diston rip works fine now; when new it was miserable. The smoothest cut I have made on my band saw is with a cheap Sawblades.com band, but only after I honed the set. My Sears block plane can shave .0015, but there is about 3 full turns of the knob to take out the play. Yea, I want a LN. Not that it cuts better, but it adjusts better.
Well, I have changed my tune. While I am working to improve my skills from homeowner carpentry hack to true woodworking craftsman ( yes, I expect it to take the rest of my life) I have found many of my tools were NOT trustworthy. Squares not square. Saws that did not cut strait, chisels that dulled or rolled too quick, sharpening tools and jigs that messed up the geometry. Router bits, drill bits, bandsaw blades, and even sandpaper. I know this as I compare one to one at the same time. If I get the same results several tines, ( even if poor) I know it is me. If the result is variable, it may be the tool.
Now, some good enough are, well good enough. A well tuned Bailey plane cuts just as well as a Bedrock, just harder to adjust. An old exhaust valve is a perfectly good burnisher, but a nice one with a proper handle is easier to use.
Simple: When I screw up, I know it is me and I need to practice that skill, not the tool. I can build the skill easier if I trust the tool. It is also cheaper to buy a tool once. I have also learned a lot of the tools I bought over the years were not the right tool. Too many years I have used a #4 smoother when I should have been using a #5.
Of course, the level of trust varies with the tool. It is not always price. I actually have some HF tools that are trustworthy. I love my plastic handle 3/8 ratchet over my Snap-on. I grew up believing Craftsman wrenches were trustworthy, until I almost broke my hand when a ratchet popped lose. ( happened on two wrenches) I bought some expensive Snap-On flat screw-drivers. Nice, but the did not fit standard screw heads! ( I use 1/4 bits in magnetic handles now) . I hated square drive screws until I bought a higher quality bit and different brand of screws. ( Hint, Kreg are crap) I still like Torx better.
And lastly, tuning a good enough tool may make it the same as a top end tool. Recently learned to sharpen my hand saws. My "modern" Diston rip works fine now; when new it was miserable. The smoothest cut I have made on my band saw is with a cheap Sawblades.com band, but only after I honed the set. My Sears block plane can shave .0015, but there is about 3 full turns of the knob to take out the play. Yea, I want a LN. Not that it cuts better, but it adjusts better.