guys like him are not uncommon in the US. The reason he probably doesn't have LN stuff is because it isn't relevant - he's restoring, not making. You can make a living restoring furniture here, but you will starve in most places if you try to make furniture and sell it.
George Wilson is well known on the american forums, though he doesn't post that much. I think you could call him almost retired at this point, but the restoration work that he was doing was over the top (for a few of his private paying clients - think heirs, not doctors or town professionals - people bringing 17th and 18th century items to him, and who wanted those items not only to be restored with things like ivory and gold, but for the parts to be aged and invisible to a viewer as being restored as well as functional - that may be something like fine sewing scissors or a spinning wheel with broken ivory and gold parts).
the ghee whiz thing in the US is "oh, you'd never see a LN plane in a pro shop, pros don't use them". 15 years ago, you'd have seen the "ghee whiz" of "you'll never see someone using a japanese or boutique saw in a pro shop", and then you see this guy using one of the mid priced japanese pullsaws. When he stocked his shop, there probably was no LN.
George's shop is not devoid of higher value tools (but he is a maker and not just a restorer). I don't get the need for that kind of dig. I have few of the expensive boutique tools at this point, but I have no idea how it would make the stuff I build less relevant.
https://youtu.be/ikP54YdS3Ls?t=138
These guys are pros. There is an awful lot of LN and LV tool use in their videos. They're young (relatively) and in maine as far as I know (where LN is).
The whole "good workers don't use expensive tools" ghee whiz stuff gets old. When george showed up shortly after he retired from full time work, a couple of pikers (now with failed maker businesses while George is still able to bill work at his shop rate) tried to accost george with the "tage frid wouldn't use that" garbage. The difference between the minimalist dreamers and george is that george never had the time to take on students or make videos. He was too busy making. I remember him saying that he prefers good tools because they inspire good work. If they don't inspire you, there's no great reason to try to categorize other people just because that may not be true.
I prefer by far to work with tools that I've made myself. I can't imagine riding that gimmick to discourage other people or saying they really don't have a full grasp of what they're doing because they don't like to make theirs too.
