Tom L-N might get away with it but Axminster...........
But why not?
I spoke with Tom L-N at Axminster a couple of years back and he said they are incredibly difficult to produce. The price in theory reflects this.
I haven't seen the Review yet, I'm in the workshop testing at the moment, but i'll check it out when i'm back in the office later to see what they look like in comparison.
As far as I know, axminster don't have their own foundry, so someone is making them for them, the steel used is A2, so the same as L-N so in theory, should be of equal performance. The difference, if any, will come from the flatness of the backs, overall finish and fineness of the bevels, but if these meet the same criteria as L-N, why not charge a price reflecting their quality?
OK, you don't have the 'name', but is this a case of tool snobbery rather than seeing a maybe great tool that does it's job but doesn't carry the right mark to be seen in the upper echelons of woodworking?
I always give tools the benefit of the doubt before making a decision, and testing them is where you find their foibles if they have any.
No dig at you Philly, but any tool should be given a chance to prove it can do it before it gets slated in my opinion, although some companies don't help themselves on this front, Stanley planes are a prime example of how the mighty have fallen!
cheers,
Andy
PS. Mind you, I think both L-N and Axminster are very expensive here, some great chisels can be picked up for a fraction of the price. Maybe needing a little more work initially, and more regular visits to the stone, but hey, we're all woodworkers here, and it's part of the game to hone regularly!
