Handworks 2015, Coming Soon to a Barn in the Amana Colonies

I was watching the Masters Golf tournament and it occurred to me that like the Masters Golf tournament that features the best golfers from all over the world, Handworks will be drawing an international cast of tool makers and professional hand tool users from all parts of the globe as well. Thankfully Handworks is not a competition.

I've been busy making ready for this event and have several tools in process in my shop. I just hope the clock doesn't run out before I get them finished. I of course have to get them completed in time to ship them to the venue so it's not like I have up until the day before the event to get them finished. This shortens my time line considerably, however I won't let it stress me and I won't be rushed. There are some things about these tools that takes a certain amount of time to do properly and there are no short cuts. If you take shortcuts you get a different result, and I don't do "not exactly'. I will opt to show up with fewer tools in lieu of many that were rushed.

I'm not wired to accept less than my best work and that's typically the nature of the tool makers that will be showing their wares in Amana. Many of the businesses represented there blazed the trail of very fine hand tools and they set the bar pretty high. If you want to be among them you have to achieve that level of work, otherwise when your tools are in close proximity to theirs it shows up in stark contrast.

It almost makes me glad that Mr. Studley's work will be displayed at another venue in Cedar Rapids. I'm most interested in getting a glimpse of that legendary kit of tools housed in a finely fitted case. As a hand tool enthusiasts I don't think it gets any better than what will be happening in Iowa next month.

The above picture of Winter Smoother plane sides looks a bit like metal fish to me, hopefully soon they will all look like parts of completed planes.

Above: An assortment of rear totes in process. 2 Macassar ebony totes in the foreground, a Desert Ironwood tote and finally at the back one of Olive wood.

I've not been to a hand tool event of this magnitude since....well, the last Handworks in 2013. I'm looking forward to seeing many of the hand tool community that I've gotten to know over the years, since really about 2007. Tool makers and tool users alike. It should be a fun gathering of like minded people.

Hope to see you there,

Ron

Silence is sometimes the best answer. - Dalai Lama