A market for WW tools in London.
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Hello.
This is a post for English people, specially people in London. Me and my wife will be in London next week. Our stay will be from Thursday to Monday and I’ve read that there are good flea markets in London where to find woodworking tools. When I had done a searching in Internet the information I’ve found is rather confusing, and more of it talks about clothes, food, fruits and so on… nothing about second hand tools. I’ve found information about many of them, but I don’t know where to begin.
Could anybody suggest me good flea markets to look for woodworking tools?
Thank you very much in advance.
10 May 2019 at 8:22 pm #561840Well, you can find some along Portobello Road Market, but it would probably be more as souvenirs – like Rabone foldable rulers, and so on. Camden Lock Market is along the same lines. And, it’s definitely not cheap. Actually, prices are fairly much the same as in on-line stores for second hand woodworking tools.
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You must be logged in to view attached files.London, being the place that it is, has few if any static tool shops selling what you are interested in. What second-hand tool shops that were scattered in small towns in the UK have all gone or are online. ‘Flea Markets’ – so-called- are over-priced tourist traps.
However, there are what is called ‘Car Boot Sales’, usually on Sundays tucked away in fields all over the country, but not likely in London,. These, as the name implies, are people selling stuff – any stuff – from the backs of their cars. It’s mostly junk, but occasionally, very rarely and very seldom you can pick up some gems for peanuts. Even so, these are becoming increasingly commercialised by professional dealers with dealers’ prices.
In short, tool-wise, it’s all gone on line.Even so, you may score a good tool on your visit and good luck in your search. But, if you are flying, be very aware of what can be carried legally in your luggage and most importantly, Rosewood (used on old plane handles) is now on the CITES list of ‘endangered species’. It’s illegal to export Rosewood, plus a lot of other stuff that you won’t normally find in WW tools.
Good Luck and enjoy your visit!
A potential problem here with old Stanley tools, et al, sold internationally on the web which, pre-war featured Rosewood handles on the best examples as a matter of course.
Unlike Ivory items which has a pre-1947 inheritance legality, there does not seem to be anything in place for old tools. In theory, anything that even looks like Rosewood, (whether it is or isn’t) can be seized at borders.
In the UK, as the law stands, there is no impediment to owning and using such stuff……. Just taking it out of the country poses a risk.Anyway, good luck and enjoy London. The best place for artifacts of all kinds is the V&A… you could spend a month there and still not see everything. Also, National museums in the UK are free-entry, not so private ones…….
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