A catalogue that'll keep you awake at night

[charlie b]

The following IS NOT Spam (tm) and I have no connection of any commercial sort with Dick Fine Tools, though I have been to their store in Metten and did buy some hand tools from them.

A couple of years back I was planning a trip to Europe with my son and asked about places to get woodworking hand tools. Someone suggested I check out Dick Fine Tools in Metten, northeast of Munich. Using a tool excursion as an excuse to try out the Auto Bahn (sp?) and to find out what it felt like to drive at 120 -130 mph, we took off to Metten intending to acquire some Two Cherries bench chisels and some Stubai carving chisels.

Alas, Dr. Rudolf Dick had gotten into Japanese Gardening and was dealing almost exclusively in Japanese tools. Bummer. But the guy up front, who didn't speak English, was very polite and helpful as translated by my son who does speak German. Got a couple of Japanese chisels and a tenon marking gauge just to be polite (and the prices weren't bad either) and asked where we might find Two Cherries chisels. Turns out they were on peg boards at the Borg type "home center" just down the road a kilometer or two.

Before leaving Dick Fine Tools I filled out a card to receive their catalogue. Well, the 2004/2006 catalogue arrived today (Saturday) and has occupied a good part of the day and will, no doubt, keep me up tonight and probably eat up some of Sunday as well.

If you like the Garrett Wade and Lee Valley catalogues you'll love the Dick Fine Tools catalogue. ALL in color. large format, glossy paper, hard paperback cover and loaded with photos, descriptions and explanations,along with prices in Euros, of every kind of woodworking hand tool, clamp, knife etc.. you can think of - and some you probably didn't even knowexisted. This is definitely a bedside or coffee table book, which, if taken to bed to browse before dropping off to dream about the tools you've looked at, WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE at night because each page will capture and hold your attention until you've looked at and read everything on the page.

They have a website worth checking out and perhaps you can order a catalogue from the site. I'd gladly pay $10-15 for their catalogue. The website is at

and click on the "English" button if you don't read German.

Caution: You may hurt your checkbook.

charlie b

[Leon]

I think you have a bad link here.

[AArDvarK]

[Leon]

Wow... Looks like LeeValley of Europe. I did not see any US dollars pricing, I wonder if they ship to the states.

You gotta wonder about that name though.

[charlie b]

Sorry, typo should be

(brain faster than hands, eyes weaker than both)

charlie b

[charlie b]

Yes they do. Euros and dollars are close to each other so the prices are basically the same

The founder/owner is Dr. Rudolf Dick

charlie b

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Does not work for me beyond the home page. Maybe they don't want the US market.

[Bob Davis]

Uh, Leon, you haven't checked your conversion rates in the last three years. That's how long its been, since the Euro and Dollar were approximately equal. Currently 1 Euro = $1.24. The dollar is horribly weak in Europe.

Bob

[Woodworm]

This is the link from my bookmarks

have bought saws and other accessories from them about 2 years ago. Prompt service, impeccable packing. Fair prices and good quality products. I'll buy from them again.

[Leon]

Umm that was Charlie B that indicated the two units being nearly equal. Still that rate is better than the rate that the Canadians have to pay for American sold goods.

[GrayBeardPhil]

Charlie B.

Thanks for the link.

GraybeardPhil

[James Cubby Culbertson]

Actually the Euro has increased it's value the past year or so. It's sitting at 1 Euro = 1.24 USD so mark up the prices in the catalog 24% or so and that would give you an idea of prices. Heading to his website now...

Cheers, cc

[Leon]

So, I am looking at a Brace # 707182 and it's price 69,02 EUR. Is that about $86.25 US?

[Larry Jaques]

On 11 Jul 2004 07:54:58 -0700, [e-mail] (James Cubby Culbertson) calmly ranted:

The Viking axe by Stefan Rönnquist (which I drool over every time I see it) goes for $227E there. Just $281USD

It's only $232 on Drew Langsner's site at

day...

-------------------------------------------- -- I'm in touch with my Inner Curmudgeon. --

Comprehensive Website Development ============================================================

[RKON]

When I was working in Europe back in 99 the Dollar was a tad stronger with an exchange rate of $1.05 per 1 Euro. I also notice that they carry many products we can get here LN, LV, Pony...

Hers is one I have not seen in the states .. A Viking Woman's Knife. What the hell else is this really used for? I wouldn't want to run up with some Scandy woman carrying this.

[Kevin Craig]

Can we call him "Rude Dick" for short? ;-)

Thanks for the info. And isn't the Autobahn great? It's what the U.S. Interstate Highway system *should* be, but isn't. Granted, our sparse population density and low gas tax rates can't support such pool-table smooth, perfectly engineered highways. And asphalt fares much worse in U.S. summer heat. Not to mention that our low road fuel taxes effectively subsidize the trucking industry over the railroads, so we have much more truck traffic clogging and destroying our highways.

On the other hand, our sparse population and cheap fuel makes Autobahn rules even more sensible for the U.S. than Germany. There's no real safety-related reason to keep you from crossing most of the country at

130+mph. At least not if we instituted Autobahn rules: no trucks or buses in any but the right lane; and, if you're in any but the right-most lane and get hit from behind, YOU are cited for the accident.

Ahhh, those were the days. :-)

Kevin

[James Cubby Culbertson]

Yup.

[Bruce Barnett]

$499.

[Larry Jaques]

On 12 Jul 2004 01:30:25 GMT, Bruce Barnett calmly ranted:

Nice stuff, huh? I like the look of the 1800 better, and have always loved their Sloyd axe. (I guess I'm a sucker for a bearded axe.) One of the Gransfors distributors had most of their axes at one of the WW shows I attended, I think it was in Animalheim, CA, so I got to heft and play with them. The little Swedish carving axe looked very small like a Cub Scout model. Since it was a Neander-style booth, I had lots of time to talk to them. They were busy wiping off my drool for the next half hour, I'm sure.

LJ Just Say(tmPL): I'm glad they didn't have the Viking axe there or I surely would have bent both crowbars and given my wallet a heart attack.

----- = Dain Bramaged...but having lots of fun! =

Comprehensive Website Development

[igor]

Just heard a report that due to some major accidents recently the parliament is considering setting an 80MPH speed limit. A politician was interviewed and said it would never happen. He said, "In the US you have guns. Here, we have cars as our weapons." -- Igor