Footprint Tools

[Jelly]

Appear to be back producing woodworking tools, though only a rationalised fraction of their former range.

I remember them going into liquidation and restarting based on the strength of their pipe grips, line pins and bricklayers tools, but they seemed to have let the woodworking tools go.
Back in June I heard a pair of local radio interviews with the two brothers who run footprint, where they mentioned their woodworking tools, and mentally filed it away to have a look.

They're currently offering reasonably priced dovetail, tennon, gents and handsaws along with various gauges and traditional auger bits.

Sadly, for now the planes and chisels are notably absent, I for one would like to see their patternmakers chisels back in production, as they're notably better than any other paring chisel I've used.

I should note that most of my favourite tools are Footprint, so I have perhaps more of an interest in this than most; But high quality resharpenable saws at ½ to ⅔ of the price of the Thomas Flinn offerings, are not to be sniffed at.

 

[Droogs]

when you say traditional auger bits, do you mean double twist? i'm on the lookout for some

 

[Biliphuster]

The saws look identical to the Flinn ones from what I can see, I imagine they are buying them in. Where do you see such lowered prices?

Regardless, it's always great to have more toolmakers going in the UK.

 

[Jelly]

The saws look identical to the Flinn ones from what I can see, I imagine they are buying them in. Where do you see such lowered prices?

I've seen them online for £42-£47, as compared to flinn's cheapest starting at £62. They also look identical to my 22 year old footprint saws, which look identical to some of the flinn models, so its anyones guess if they're "the same" and if they're made in house or not.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

When I was shopping for a panel saw I checked out all the UK made resharpenable options, including Thomas Flinn, and the various Axminster offerings, which include their own Styles and Brown "Victor" branded saws, and Footprint ones too. A certain similarity begins to emerge.

I asked Katie at Thomas Flinn if they made them too, and of course she was evasive, but as it says on their website:

"We are the last remaining traditional saw manufacturer in the UK"

They supply saws with a great many brandings. In the end I bought the Styles and Brown "Victor" saw from Axminster because it was at a bargain price (£38 I think). Between the saw itself and the box it came in, it was branded "Victor", "Styles and Brown", "Lynx" and "Thomas Flinn" ! It was taper ground, breasted and hand sharpened, so matching closely the Pax spec - which would have been a lot more money.

I'm pretty sure they make the lot - Victor, Footprint, and Atkinson Walker as well as the many brands they own. Strangely, the most expensive way of buying a Thomas Flinn saw seems to be to buy it from them directly !

Edited to add: I'm not sure how much of the Footprint woodworking tools they make themselves. The augers look like Clico, and some of their marking tools look like they might be Joseph Marples ? I did read somewhere that that the forged tools they make themselves.

 

[Jelly]

I'm pretty sure they make the lot - Victor, Footprint, and Atkinson Walker as well as the many brands they own. Strangely, the most expensive way of buying a Thomas Flinn saw seems to be to buy it from them directly !

I believe Atkinson Walker is an independent family firm (though they're within 100yds of each other, and on a direct route from my flat to The Fat Cat) different product, different market; same commitment to sheffield manufacture and Same excellent products and attention to detail, when I was working in the toolroom we must have had literally thousands of their HSS and TCT blades for all manner of purposes and spindle sizes on a constant rotation between the mill, us and the saw doctors*.

Edited to add: I'm not sure how much of the Footprint woodworking tools they make themselves. The augers look like Clico, and some of their marking tools look like they might be Joseph Marples ? I did read somewhere that that the forged tools they make themselves.

I thought Clico went out of business, hence Thomas Flinn taking on the Clifton Planes line?

Certainly from what I've heard footprint bought their old forging equipment back after selling it, as their most popular tools were all one and two piece forgings (most of them using now widespread techniques invented in house in the postwar era); which makes it all the more puzzling why they're selling rebranded products, but the iconic red-handled chisels aren't making a reappearence (as i understand it that fully forged socket chisel design was another of their own innovations.

Either way, it's nice to see a Sheffield manufacturer back from the brink.

*Its a great shame they outsourced the saw doctoring when the last one retired, before I joined... I'd have loved to learn even a fraction of the skills required to hand adjust and tension circular and bandsaw blades, a skill which I believe is now unique to two Sheffield firms within the UK, though MetsaWood (formerly StoraEnso) have maintained the skill in finland and sweeden.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I believe Atkinson Walker is an independent family firm

Yes, I was meaning the tenon/dovetail saws that they offer. These ones. Look very Lynx-ish to me.

though they're within 100yds of each other, and on a direct route from my flat to The Fat Cat.

Oh my. A well trodden route, I shouldn't wonder. The Fat Cat. You remind me of late teenage years growing up in Sheffield.

Edited to add: I'm not sure how much of the Footprint woodworking tools they make themselves. The augers look like Clico, and some of their marking tools look like they might be Joseph Marples ? I did read somewhere that that the forged tools they make themselves.

I thought Clico went out of business, hence Thomas Flinn taking on the Clifton Planes line?

Certainly from what I've heard footprint bought their old forging equipment back after selling it, as their most popular tools were all one and two piece forgings (most of them using now widespread techniques invented in house in the postwar era); which makes it all the more puzzling why they're selling rebranded products, but the iconic red-handled chisels aren't making a reappearence (as i understand it that fully forged socket chisel design was another of their own innovations.

Yes, Clico are gone. But if you look around it is hard to find more than odd sizes of the Footprint augers in stock anywhere. Perhaps they are what is left. Or perhaps someone else, even Footprint, are making them ? We can hope. This selling of re-branded products is and always has been commonplace though. From what I read Footprint made some decisions that didn't work well for them and are re-starting small; perhaps selling some re-branded stuff to create an inpression of a bigger business than they currently are is part of the plan.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

On their site they say - "Footprint produce saws and woodworking tools ..." which would lead you to believe they were actually making them, not just selling them.

 

[hamburglar]

Give Ray Iles at the Old Tool Store a ring. He bought up a load of the old Footprint stock.

Cheers

Rob