Reply To: Buying Woodworking Tools is Becoming Stupid
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I travel frequently with my job (bulk of the east coast US) and stop in every antique store / flea market I pass by…and I hadn’t seen a single router plane in the 6 months or so I had been searching for one. I’m pretty damn good at tracking down hard-to-find items, and I’ve found every other tool you would need (and at bargain prices–recently picked up a pre-war #4 for $10), but nary a router ANYWHERE. I finally threw in the towel and sprung for a LN…love the tool but every time I use it I’m reminded of my failure. A few weeks back I was passing through Pittsboro, NC, and stopped in the tool store at Roy Underhill’s school. The place is truly impressive, hundreds of bench planes, boxes and shelves full of chisels, spokeshaves, etc, but only one lonely router plane, a 71 in poor condition, going for $95. I spoke with Ed who runs the place, and he was equally lamenting the absurd prices being asked for the routers these days and how hard they are to come by. Part of the problem is every router has “Stanley 71” (or the equivalent) cast right into it, so it’s incredibly easy for anyone who finds one to do a quick Google search and realize they can charge a premium for it, which is further compounded by the next person who’s selling one, cue the vicious cycle.