Cheshirechappie":17cr6mya said:
Derek - quoting from your words in my original post,
"I read recommendations for handtools on many forums, but is seems to me that the one ones more likely to suggest a knock off design are either the UK forums or forums that cater to beginner woodworkers."
That seems a fairly direct accusation at UK woodworkers in particular.
A bit of googling suggests that your photographs show firstly a Quangsheng spokeshave (available in the UK, though it's hardly a cheap knock-off at about £50 - for that, it's probably a pretty decent tool); however, I have been unable to find any UK supplier of WoodRiver spokeshaves, or of the copy mallet (though Classic Hand Tools do stock the USA-made original).
Derek - it's bad enough having our cricket team regularly stuffed out of sight by Aussies without being unfairly accused by them of buying tools that aren't even available here! Give us a break, will you - and on behalf of UK woodworkers in general, a bit of a sorry for the slur would be appreciated!
(Edited to add the price of a Quangsheng spokeshave.)
Going by your own words Derek the only country mentioned is UK, neither the USA or Australia are, yet you now say the example pictures you posted later are not from UK retailers.
If you are going to air your views thus, please at least have the fortitude of not favorably editing them according to the country hosting that forum. Either they are your views or they are not, in entirety.
I have to agree your post is unfairly slanted against the UK (as it's the only country you mention), yet the USA has just as bad a record of importing cheap knock offs - some might say significantly greater than UK by simple measure of buying power - and as such would be much better positioned to counteract those manufacturers; yet that quite obvious fact was glaringly, "overlooked" (USA pop 320mill, UK pop 64mill).
I have not been in the tool acquisition game for long but I can also say that newer woodworkers may not even know to look for the "proper" brand names you mention, and so buy the cheapest tool they can so as not to waste money on a new hobby.
HOWEVER, almost invariably they either learn and buy an old tool secondhand or gravitate towards the LN's and their ilk ANYWAY, so they do not lose out at all, bought now or later, to them makes no difference.
It seems to me what you are really saying is to stamp out these "gateway" manufacturers, some of whom do actually produce something that works, to favor LN, Veritas et al, all of whom are simply more established companies selling, in most cases, their versions of even older designs by someone else.
Sure I'll go along with that, just give me the money to bridge the gap and I'll happily swap all my tools for a LN equivalent; however I won't get any more wood work done, or be any more accurate than before, I'll simply have more expensive versions.
Edit:I'd also like to point out that sometimes this happens because the legitimate producer of something does not make it easily available outside the country of origin: to whit - the "spider sander" designed by an Aussie and not available far as I can tell outside of Australia, even though it looks like a pretty good gadget; leaving them wide open to being ripped off, because of their own shortsightedness.
I too feel that either a retraction of your post, or both an edit AND a later subpost to clarify what you actually meant ideally including the post you made her with those examples from countries OTHER than UK, would be fitting.
Edit: Why are you even banging on about it anyway? If there is a breach of current copyright it's not your job or place or anything else to fight that fight - you make a conscious choice to buy "original" (whatever
that means in the tool world) - fair enough; you can ask other woodworkers to do the same, also fair enough - good of you to take the time; but until LN or Blue Spruce or any of the other favored names you mentioned make a plane that makes me as good as Chris Schwarz right off the bat, I'll buy other cheaper brands that perform the same function because I have no choice.