Tool Porn

[scmhogg]

Last year, Ken Massingale called his new Lee Valley Catalog, Tool Porn.

Yesterday I got the ultimate in tool porn. Bridge City Tool Works sent me a poster size fold out 2006 calendar with a picture of their new VP60 plane. I have been transfixed for hours. The VP60 is adjustable from 30 to 90 degrees.

The $1,500.00 price tag kind of takes your breath away. But, as they say it replaces six or seven common planes. That figures to be around $250 a plane. Why not? Its beautiful. Bridge City stuff is always rated great. I would spend that much for a gun, and I've certainly spent lot more on a watch....

I don't have any good planes, just a couple of clunkers that I have fettled to their limit. I thought I would buy one good plane at a time from Veritas or LN.

Am I crazy to even consider this???

http://www.bridgecitytools.com/ok_default.html

Steve

[Whaler]

It doesn't like a Mac with Firefox and the Netscape 8.0 download doesn't either.

[final_t]

But, would you use it enough to justify the cost? It's the size of a #4 or #5 smooth plane, so you could get the low-angle version from Lee Valley and the assorted angled blades pre-ground for it (I've done this for the jack plane and having swappable blades as needed is a thing of joy).
I wonder how stable that variable pitch really is...

[atgcpaul]

quote:Originally posted by scmhogg
The $1,500.00 price tag kind of takes your breath away. But, as they say it replaces six or seven common planes. That figures to be around $250 a plane. Why not? Its beautiful. Bridge City stuff is always rated great. I would spend that much for a gun, and I've certainly spent lot more on a watch....

I don't have any good planes, just a couple of clunkers that I have fettled to their limit. I thought I would buy one good plane at a time from Veritas or LN.

Am I crazy to even consider this???

I was wondering where I saw this plane before! I'm taking a hand
tool joinery class and one of my retired classmates has this plane.
Me, personally, I love my $5 Stanley Bedrock #5 with $40 Hock blade
and $20 Hock chipper. After some tuning, it works great for me. I
could never justify such a purchase at this stage in my WWing career
when I feel I could get far more for my money with other purchases.

Paul

[silverfox]

Well, Steve...if you have the money and need a present for yourself...why not? OTOH, I am usually not a fan of "one size fits all" types of things. Especially tools. But, if you buy it and don't like it...can you return it?
Mike

[Jim Boyd]

quote:Originally posted by atgcpaul

Me, personally, I love my $5 Stanley Bedrock #5 with $40 Hock blade
and $20 Hock chipper.
Paul

Stealth gloat?

[mudder]

For $1500.00 you can buy a #45, A #55 and 2 or 3 Lie-Nielsen planes. If you really like it and have the cash I would say go for it.

[mater]

I don't think you are crazy to consider it but personally I would like to see it before I bought it unless you can return it.

[germdoc]

quote:Originally posted by scmhogg

I've certainly spent lot more on a watch....

??

If I spent that much on a watch, I'd be paying 2-3 times that amount in alimony payments every month!

Seriously, BCT tools are things of beauty. You don't really need a reason to buy something that's beautiful and functional at the same time, if you're not taking food out of your kid's mouth to buy it.

I justify my tool purchases this way: every dollar I spend for a nice tool (I'm more of a Lee Valley/Veritas plane guy, or a vintage Stanley, myself) helps keep some guy in manufacturing, packaging, shipping, etc., employed. Even better if it's made in the USA.

[vaking]

How would you feel to take this plane in your hands one day and ruin the blade over some nail? When you spent big bucks on Rolex, you did not do it because is shows correct time. You can get a $100 watch to do that. When you spend obscene money on something - you expect it to be functional but you can get functional things for a lot less. I would not think of a $1500 plane as a tool. A thing of beauty, an art exhibit - OK, but not a tool. If you want to buy something like this - put the cost of it into "Art Collection" category or a "Status Symbol". It has nothing to do with the tool budget or how many planes it replaces. And even if its functionality turns out to be no better than a single Lee Valley plane - it does not really matter. You are not likely to be using it much anyway. You correctly put this topic into "coffee pot" rather than "tool talk". You are not crazy to consider it as long as you keep the right perspective on what you are buying.

[JTimmons]

$1500.00. Not a bad deal if your buying all your planes from them exclusively. Good grief, $639.00 for a low angle block plane, $940.00 for a bench plane. $1500.00 is nothing. $125.00 for the storage cases.

[u]These made me laugh:</u>
$189.00 for a combo square.
$219.00 for a Centerscribe.
$98.00 for a plumb bob.
$42.00 for a 24" ruler.

Everything I looked at says, "in stock"! Gee, I wonder why?!

[Jim-Iowa]

No it`s not excessive, if you can afford it.
Or Will use it.
I would not buy a tool I would not use.
Go for it Steve!

[430752]

Well, 150 for a decent plane and 10 trips to Frank's Chicken Shack would probably make you feel better for the same price! But, I'd say go for it anyway if you can afford it.

Curt J.

[JTimmons]

quote:Originally posted by Jim-Iowa

No it`s not excessive, if you can afford it.

Not excessive, exclusive! What I am getting at, is they seem to be a little too proud of their products. What's the difference in a Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane and the Bridge City besides $490.00 or one of the Lie-Nielsen bench planes besides a difference of $700.00. I am not seeing it, whether you can afford it or not.

Remember Sam Walton, he died driving that old pick-up and I KNOW he could have bought something more expensive, but it got the job done!

For the $1500.00 price tag you could have a sweet set of LN and Stanley planes for cheaper and the heck w/ adjusting the angle, pick up the one you need and go.

[JTimmons]

Here's something a guy at work and I were talking about this morning. A little perspective if you will.

http://www.rbiwoodtools.com/s/static...planer_one.htm

Now this to me, is worth $2000.00.