Painless:
Works now... added the image as well, though that would be appropriate in your post instead of a follow-on.
(edit comment: George beat me to it, I was busy typing this...)
A little story:
I met Leonard Lee (owner/founder/brains behind Veritas toos) of
Lee Valley Tools in Ottawa at his very first store back in the mid 70's - I think 77 if I remember correctly. His business was orientated to cabinet and furniture makers both professionals and the garage/hobbiest craftsman. Even then he demonstrated his vision for a business that would supply his customers with top flight tools at reasonable prices, and not just run of the mill Home Depot, Home Hardware or Sears everyday quality tools.
He stocked
Ulmia hand tools made from Beech and Lignum Vitae, Sheffield steel and Solingen steel chisels, plane irons, quality Bessey Clamps as well as the German Theba brand and the list goes on. He only stocked the best of the best whether it originated in Canada, the US, Europe or Australia and all points in between.
This is tool chest pictured below is the updated version of my Cabinet-Maker's Toolchest which in German is Werkzeugschränken für den Schreiner und Tischler. Em bought it for me whilst I was apprenticing in Germany for my Meister Schrienier Certifikat, after we got posted to Lahr. I first started using planes made from Beech with Lignum Vitae soles whilst I was still an apprentice with my father. He brought his with him in the 50's.
This is similar to mine although the Japanese style saw is new, the clamps were not part of my set, and a number of tools are missing such as the Rosewood Marking Guage, the 2 other sizes of Joiners hammers, and my pride and joy - my Rosewood and Lignum Vitae Reform-putzhobel (reformed finishing plane or refined finishing plane). This is the
Ulmia Tool Chest description in English.
He was one of the originals to import Japanese woodworking tools, including their saws and chisels. He made the concept of Japanese water stones as integral to a well out-fitted shop as a pair of fine Arakansas stones for putting an edge on a chisel or plane iron. He found though, that much of the really good tools were no longer made such as the Stanley hand planes which proved to be the inspiration for Veritas. He contracted with some Canadian and US manufacturers to re-engineer some of the fine tools that were no longer available - update them with new technology and then rigourously tested them. These tools became very popular and now Veritas is a vaunted tool maker in it's own right.
I think it was in the mid 80's that Leonard expanded to include tools from his other pass-times and hobbies, the main being garden tools. He was one of the first to import the
Gardena Quick-Connect System from Germany. I had discoverd this brand whilst posted to Germany with the CF and became an instant convert. Sorry for the German pages, just haven't found the English ones yet...
Leonard then put all of his considerable energies and talents into finding the very best garden tools available. Again, he had companies manufacture tools that were no longer available.
In the early 90's I think he opened his first US store in upper New York if I remember correctly. He has expanded considerably since then. I last has the opportunity to talk with Leonard about 10 years ago. Conversations with him were always a treat. He is now retired pretty much but spends a lot of time researching and engineering new products all the time. His sons now run the business which is now a very very large concern.
I get their catalogues religously - everything from the Tool Catalogue to the Hardware Catalogue and the Gardening Catalogue.
What a wonderful example of adherance to the quality principle he has provided.
It has rained at least 1/2 ", often more, every day, except 5 days, for the past 2 months. The grass and weeds came back with a vengence. The entire bed was 1' tall. There were crab grasses up to 2' across, centepede grass all over, nut sedge, and a wide variety of other flora.
