British manufactured woodworking tools

[Sheffield Tony]

Looks like we've been offered a perfect chance to meet some of the makers:

sheffield-tool-event-kelham-island-museum-t98657.html

 

[Eric The Viking]

That's good news!

I haven't forgotten a sticky. As always, the devil is in the detail but I"ll get stuck in after the w/e - tied up with other stuff until then.

 

[Biliphuster]

Forgot a good one, Thor Hammers, I like the copper and rawhide models for driving chisels, also for assembly without marring your work. The sizes go right up to what is essentially a sledgehammer in whatever material combination you want, and with nice ash or hickory handles.

I am in good company too, Richard Maguire and Paul Sellers both use these (but the plastic/nylon/rubber ones).

 

[Wuffles]

Forgot a good one, Thor Hammers, I like the copper and rawhide models for driving chisels, also for assembly without marring your work.

I am in good company too, Richard Maguire and Paul Sellers both use these (but the plastic/nylon/rubber ones).

I use one of those (nylon/rubber), not once did I consider it would by UK made. Awesome.

 

[AndyT]

And over in the green woodworking field, let's make room for some excellent knifemakers -

Ben and Lois Orford http://benandloisorford.com

Nic Westermann http://nicwestermann.co.uk

Robin Wood http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/

 

[furnman]

FISCO tape measures are made in England,

Don't stanley still make some tools in the uk ?

 

[Eric The Viking]

That reminds me: My Advent class 1 steel tape is British made (class 1 being the most accurate). It wasn't very expensive either.

I'll get on with a spreadsheet this week, based on this thread (been away & just got back).

E.

 

[shipbadger]

Just catching up with this thread and noticed someone listed Myford as a made in Britain product. Whilst this is true for some products even before the present owners took over there were items from the far east in the range. The VM milling machines being imported and then dismantled, fettled and re-assembeld in the UK, in a similar fashion to I believe Scheppach do with some machinery. The Mystro lathe was also produced for them in Taiwan at one stage in it's production.

The current owners of the Myford brand, RDG, have used the cachet of the name to market a wide range of far eastern accessories.

Tony Comber

 

[Eric The Viking]

It's a fair point. If we're going to have a meaningful list, we need to define "Made in the UK".

If someone can point to an official definition, that'll probably do, at least, I doubt we'll be able to do any better for practical purposes. I'm fairly certain there are rules about this, but I don't know what they are, and they may well vary depending on the nature of the product.

It's always going to be the case that some parts of anything complex will be made elsewhere. It's almost impossible, for example, to buy anything with electronics in it that doesn't have some components made in the Far East.

I'm still up for doing a table, and including as many manufacturers/brands/products as possible, but any pointers towards a workable definition would be appreciated.

Thinking further, we could have a category for 'designed in the UK' too, but that might get a bit complex.

 

[shipbadger]

Whilst I admire your enterprise in producing a spreadsheet I think you are going to give yourself a lot of work as you are probably going to have to list which type of products of any manufacturer come from UK factories. As an example I bought from Rutlands under their 'Dakota' brand a saw for trimming tennons and dowels. It's very good and prominently written on the blade is not US made, made in Taiwan or RoC but 'Made in Sheffield'. Not what I was expecting but a very pleasant surprise.

Tony Comber

 

[Rhyolith]

I would start with things that are totally made in the UK, everything from raw materails to completed product are delt with thin the UK. After that think about what else to include.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I haven't given up on this but I've been unwell over the last fortnight and more recently had other pressing commitments.

I have found some definitions of "made in Britain", including legal ones. I'm looking at doing a pro forma email asking companies to list their applicable products. It should end up in several big tables, by category.

Later,

E.

 

[Honest John]

What a wondful the ad. I try whenever to buy British in all things, but we should realy "buy the best" . It is a wonderful bonus if the best turns out to be British! Well done to all contributors.

 

[AndyT]

Rounding planes just came up in another thread, reminding me that nobody has mentioned Ashem Crafts, makers of distinctive rounding planes, trapping planes and stail engines.

 

[AndyT]

Proving that my memory is never going to be as good as Mark Twain's, I just found out that we had a bit of a go at this question back in 2014. I was only thinking about Sheffield at the time, but the discussion widened out a bit, so for the sake of completeness here's a link to the earlier thread:

surviving-sheffield-tool-makers-t83293.html

 

[Eric The Viking]

Thanks Andy.

I haven't forgotten I said I'd look at this, but it will have to wait until the winter, as things just got pretty hectic round here (not all in a bad way though).