tools

Once upon a time (A lot of good stores began that way). . .

I apprenticed to two of the nicest guys ever. Miles and Otto were partners in a floor covering store named “Modern Floors”. I'll write more about them later.

Plastic Laminate had just been invented, and they did a lot of it. Ceramic tile (5/32 thick) was being imported from England of all places and we were doing a LOT of tub wraps. They did not do hard wood -- that was not “modern.”

They did not do carpet, that was done by furniture stores, at least I our market at that time.

We did a lot of floor tile, battleship linoleum (long extinct( and wonderful thick filled vinyls. It was a busy store and they were great teachers/mentors.

Before I had been working too long, the parters decided I needed some tools (obvious). So they put together a “kit” of tools for me. Memory is that they were a gift from them, and as such represented a large expense.

The tools came in a 21” Kennedy cantilever box. The contents included the specialized tools that we used in the trade at that point.

Some years later, two guys got into my shop and each took something in each hand and left me without my Kennedy box.

I made the rounds of the wholesalers in my trade and replaced the tools as well as I could. Some were no longer made, some were made by not the same.

What shook me so badly was that the price was so high, and the quality of the finish was so low. My original Crane scribes were cast and machined to a level that just plain felt good in my hands. The replacement was cast ok, but very little machine work. The surface was rough and not pleasant to hold.

And so it went.

You forget what tools are in your box, until you reach for an old favorite and it is not there and no one knows what you are talking about when you search for a replacement.

So I want to join Terry in his complaint of quality. Whether you like it or not you have to buy Chinese made tools. They may be great craftsmen, but every electric tool I have that said Made in China on them have been junk.

Any more a Japanese brand that is made in Japan is highly prized, and I scorn the Chinese version (maybe of the same well known brand.)

This may indeed be one of the reasons the car companies in america are on the ropes. They never quite got the hang of making really good cars.

I complain as I drive my Chevrolet coupe and my Dodge pickup. Imagine those brands being orphans.