Buy American? Starrett measuring tools.....

[Jay Pique]

I'd love to source all of my precision measuring devices from Starrett, but at double and triple the price of almost identical tools from overseas I'm having a tough time mustering up enough patriotism to justify the additional cash outlay.

I'll be honest, I *trust* Starrett, and I'd like to use their products where I can in the shop - not only for the whole "buy American" thing, but for the peace of mind that comes from knowing that I can eliminate measuring errors from the list of causes of my myriad fuckups. Anyone have any experience negotiating directly with Starrett to get more competitive pricing? Just wondering...

Oh yeah - it looks like Lee Valley is making straightedges now. A four or six footer would sure be nice for the jointer... Dad's a Canuck so I guess I can feel ok buying (and buying, and buying...) from them!!

JP

************************* NAFTA friendly.

[Phisherman]

I just ordered a Starrett combination square from Amazon for $164.99 today (Ouch!). With $200 or more there is a $25 promotion on tools. And they have free shipping.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

They don't sell direct.

They do, however, have an overstock page on their web page. They are sold out of the 60" straight edges that went for $160. But for that same price, you can get a vibrometer.

[Charlie Self]

Phisherman repeats:

OK! I knew they were working on the straightedge. I'll have to see if my boss will free up a check in the next few days. That price is right on the steel model. Aluminum, too, but I'm clumsy enough to screw that up, so will go with steel.

Charlie Self "I have always felt that a politician is to be judged by the animosities he excites among his opponents." Sir Winston Churchill

[Unisaw A100]

Once upon a time they had a straight edge. It left. Now it's back? How long is it? Got a URL?

UA100, with so many questions...

[Larry Jaques]

On 04 Sep 2004 09:13:01 GMT, [e-mail] (Charlie Self) calmly ranted:

Now watch. UPS will show up with a 2' long U-shaped package marked "Carefully folded to avoid damage to contents."

---------------------------------------------------------- --== EAT RIGHT...KEEP FIT...DIE ANYWAY ==--

- Schnazzy Tees online

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[Doug Miller]

I think the key word there is "almost". Compare -- I'm choosing my words carefully here -- the guaranteed accuracy of the Starrett tools with the claimed accuracy of the imported competition.

They *are* pricy, I'll grant you that. But we're back to the old maxim, discussed here many times: buy the best, cry once; buy cheap, cry every time you use it.

AFAIK, Starrett does not sell direct. But there's a wide range of prices for the same tool, depending on the retailer. Check Google, Froogle, and eBay. Auctions and garage sales may be your friends, too -- a long time ago, digging through a carton of miscellaneous stuff at an auction, I found at the bottom of it a wooden box containing a Browne & Sharp micrometer. Put that sucker right back where I found it, too, at the bottom under everything. Paid a buck and a half for the carton. :-)

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

Get a copy of my NEW AND IMPROVED TrollFilter for NewsProxy/Nfilter by sending email to autoresponder at filterinfo-at-milmac-dot-com You must use your REAL email address to get a response.

[Jay Pique]

for the straightedges.

They've also got a new large sholder plane and a very cool roller stand, which can be seen here -

.

The roller stand looks to be very well thought out and sturdily made. It's now on the list.

JP

[Lazarus Long]

UPS can mess up anything. So I believe your exaggeration could in fact come true.

I once ordered a bunch of mesquite boards from Texas. Tracked 'em across the US, they got to my local delivery office and got scheduled for delivery. Yippee. later that same day, they got marked as damaged in shipment, return to sender. WTF!!!!

I was pissed beyond belief, and wondered how they'd gotten broken. The driver brought them out anyway, of his own initiative. Turns out someone at UPS spilled a lot of used motor oil on them. How thoroughly incompetent of them. Since they were mostly wrapped in cardboard and were rough, what oil did touch them got planed off anyway.

Thanks to the initiative of their driver, who must know *something* about woodworking, he saved the day for me. He should have gotten an attaboy for that, but probably received discipline for violating the company line.

[Lazarus Long]

I suffered with the same decision. I chose to go with Mitutoyo. I've got one of their dial calipers and a combination square with a center finder and protractor head. Love that protractor head.

However, if Starett wasn't so far out their price wise, I'd get that. But for a hobbyist woodworker, it's just too much.

[Jay Pique]

Heh - that's almost exactly what I said to the guy at the Starrett booth last week. I was nice about it, and said that I'd prefer to buy Starrett, but with Mitutoyo at half the cost it's tough to justify. He shrugged.

JP

[Unisaw A100]

Looking for something a wee bit longer/jointer set up.

Can you set up a jointer with it?

UA100

[Grandpa]

The measuring tool is only half the battle. How you use it and how you cut are also important. Point being, the best tool in the world is useless if you don't use it correctly or you can't cut worth a rats ass.

Grandpa

Jay Pique wrote:

[Morris Dovey]

Please don't joke like this. Recently, I ordered some 3/4" square x 6' metal bars (3 aluminum, 2 brass). They were shipped via UPS in a long square box that arrived with creases in the cardboard. I thought "Yeah, sure" and opened the boxes. And sure enough, one of the brass bars was bowed just under a half inch.

How do they do that?

[Mike at American Sycamore]

I have had good luck at the Pawn Shops finding deals on Starrett. Mike

[Alan Sadler]

I haven't checked the many other replies in the thread, so this may have been covered already. Starret's been around since 1880. Many of the tools a woodworker might use are readily available used. While some may be damaged and unusable, most were owned and cared for by machinists whose living depended on their accuracy. Many of the used Starrett tools I own have long outlived their original owners.

Most machinists' tools were made to measure .001" or less. Even if not quite so percise, I don't know of too many woodworkers more accurate than .01".

While they were certianly expensive when purchased new (as now) their current value can greatly exceed the current cost on the used (or previously owned) market.

Alan

[Andy Dingley]

I once mail-ordered a rally car rollcage. Securicor bent it in shipping.

[CW]

They would have to try to do that. Try hard.

[Andy Dingley]

Well, not all _that_ hard. It's not a "cage" until you have it fastened down to the floorpan. They managed to bend one of the legs that stuck out on its own.

Still 2" steel tube though.

[Layne]

Buying woodworking tools is like buying anything else...like shoes, clothes, cars, etc. You're buying quality, top shelf stuff, but you're also buying the brand name and reputation of the company too. That's why Starret can, and rightly so, charge more for their tools.

Layne