Veritas stock

[Doingupthehouse]

Hi,

Does anybody know what the deal is with Veritas stock in the UK? I’ve been after the large router plane for a while, now I can afford to splash the cash on one, nobody’s got one in stock #-o

Have been informed by one dealer, they’re not expected until June or July.

Cheers
Simon

 

[Peter Sefton]

We have been experiencing Veritas restocking issues on a few lines along with the rest of the UK. I heard it mentioned that the router planes were stuck in customs because of timber on the handles being Rosewood ( I thought they were Bubinga) . I understand that in the future they will be baked Maple to overcome any Cites confusion.

Cheers

Peter

 

[D_W]

Bubinga was added along with the dalbergias to annotation II in cites.

I wish the governments would give it a rest with cites for a bit. I lost a norris II to ebay's global shipping program because they claimed that it could be confiscated. That's technically possible, but customs here has no issue with rosewood planes going through - they're too old to matter.

Presumably Veritas is more document oriented and sends the planes with paperwork needed (which doesn't happen on infills I get from the UK).

Cites "urges" countries to do what is necessary to discourage the harvest of *new* timber, and then those countries seem to go nuts.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Interesting, that would help explain it. I noticed Workshop Heaven’s Quangsheng planes had gone over to cherry handles for the same reason.

Just have to be patient.

Cheers
Simon.

 

[sunnybob]

Its worth calling in to a shop or phoning axminster.
Their website shows stock in the main warehouse because thats where all items are sent from, but NOT whats in the shops. I have found stuff before by asking a shop manager to check all stores. They appear to have a different computer list than the general public.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Its worth calling in to a shop or phoning axminster.
Their website shows stock in the main warehouse because thats where all items are sent from, but NOT whats in the shops. I have found stuff before by asking a shop manager to check all stores. They appear to have a different computer list than the general public.

I'll try calling them, I’m not too hopeful though, as nobody else seems to have them.

Cheers
Simon.

 

[Peter Sefton]

The trouble is the Cites list gets very involved and the customs guys see some timbers on paper work and just stop shipments. Trying to resolve these issues can be very difficult even if the importer is in the right.

We had a shipment of Micro Fence held up for 6 weeks in Rugby before Christmas it only took four days to get from the US. We had a hell of a game getting it, nothing wrong just stuck in the system.

Cheers Peter

 

[Doingupthehouse]

The trouble is the Cites list gets very involved and the customs guys see some timbers on paper work and just stop shipments. Trying to resolve these issues can be very difficult even if the importer is in the right.

We had a shipment of Micro Fence held up for 6 weeks in Rugby before Christmas it only took four days to get from the US. We had a hell of a game getting it, nothing wrong just stuck in the system.

Cheers Peter

It must be very frustrating for importers and retailers.

There almost seems to be more species on the CITES list than off it. A necessary evil I suppose. Sad to think of all the wonderful timbers craftspeople will no longer be able to work in the future. Oh well, we reap what we sow - or rather don’t sow!

Simon

 

[Bodgers]

Hmm...this has got my concerned for the Veritas shooting plane my relatives are bringing over from the US. It arrives at their place next week, and they are due to bring to over the week after. I assumed the totes on the Veritas stuff was all torrified maple now.

Wonder if I should just get them to remove the tote....

 

[Peter Sefton]

The planes I have seen over the last couple of months have been Walnut.

Cheers Peter

 

[Bodgers]

The planes I have seen over the last couple of months have been Walnut.

Cheers Peter

Interesting. Thanks Peter.

I think I will get them to open the box and send me a photo, see if I can ID it.

 

[Vann]

...Wonder if I should just get them to remove the tote....

Sounds like a good idea to me. I don't know if it would be better to put the handles in a different piece of luggage, or in the carry-on bags.

But, even if they did get confiscated, at least you'd still have the plane. Making new handles would be a pain, but less of a pain than losing the entire plane like DW did.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[marcros]

The trouble is the Cites list gets very involved and the customs guys see some timbers on paper work and just stop shipments. Trying to resolve these issues can be very difficult even if the importer is in the right.

We had a shipment of Micro Fence held up for 6 weeks in Rugby before Christmas it only took four days to get from the US. We had a hell of a game getting it, nothing wrong just stuck in the system.

Cheers Peter

It must be very frustrating for importers and retailers.

There almost seems to be more species on the CITES list than off it. A necessary evil I suppose. Sad to think of all the wonderful timbers craftspeople will no longer be able to work in the future. Oh well, we reap what we sow - or rather don’t sow!

Simon

it is sad, in a way to think of that, but in another way I think that it is unnecessary to use rare and exotic timbers for hand plane handles. Bubinga may look pretty and take a good finish etc, but I think it is correct for a company such as veritas (ie a manufacturing company that must use a decent volume of timber) to look at sustainable alternatives, particularly as their standard offering. They can stabilise less stable timbers, heat treat, inject resin. I think in this day and age it is difficult to justify using an endangered timber for plane handles and knobs. There is a ready supply of maple, cherry, walnut etc in the USA, and more species besides that are available.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

The trouble is the Cites list gets very involved and the customs guys see some timbers on paper work and just stop shipments. Trying to resolve these issues can be very difficult even if the importer is in the right.

We had a shipment of Micro Fence held up for 6 weeks in Rugby before Christmas it only took four days to get from the US. We had a hell of a game getting it, nothing wrong just stuck in the system.

Cheers Peter

It must be very frustrating for importers and retailers.

There almost seems to be more species on the CITES list than off it. A necessary evil I suppose. Sad to think of all the wonderful timbers craftspeople will no longer be able to work in the future. Oh well, we reap what we sow - or rather don’t sow!

Simon

it is sad, in a way to think of that, but in another way I think that it is unnecessary to use rare and exotic timbers for hand plane handles. Bubinga may look pretty and take a good finish etc, but I think it is correct for a company such as veritas (ie a manufacturing company that must use a decent volume of timber) to look at sustainable alternatives, particularly as their standard offering. They can stabilise less stable timbers, heat treat, inject resin. I think in this day and age it is difficult to justify using an endangered timber for plane handles and knobs. There is a ready supply of maple, cherry, walnut etc in the USA, and more species besides that are available.

Totally agree with this, in fact, I think Cherry looks really good on totes and handles. Beech is another great, and traditional, choice in Europe. So many practical timbers to use. Does it really matter how pretty a tool handle is?

Alas, I fear what tool handles are made from will make almost zero difference to the endangered list while countries like China consume huge quantities of wood with very little regard to sustainability.

Simon

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I support the spirit if CITES. I do hope that, if it is a Customs problem, this isn't a foretaste of the kind of chaos that Brexit might trigger in a year or two...