Sharp Tools

Over the years, I have made many things out of wood: buildings, furniture, cabinets, Art Boxes, doorstops, spoons, and the list goes on and on.

To do that, I’ve used saws, drills, chisels, planes (manual and power), scorps, hook knives, carving knives to cut wood; rulers, squares, tapes, dividers, calipers, story sticks, and more to measure things; glue, nails, brads, rabbits, finger joints, dovetails, and more to join wood; files, sandpaper, steel wool, and scrapers to surface wood; and too many things to list to finish wood.

All of this leads me to four observations.

·????? You can do a lot with a few tools. Having the right tool makes things sooooo much easier.

·????? Tools are just tools. It’s the maker who makes them work. You never forget how to use a tool once you know how, but your proficiency with that tool dulls without use.

·????? Conversely, the tool begins to dull the second you use it. The edge degrades. You don’t notice it at first. And then you do.

·????? Dull tools are dangerous. I sharpen hand tools before every use. I don’t wait for dull to creep up and ruin me or the wood.

There’s an analog here to whatever it is you do.