Lee Valley?

[Guy LaRochelle]

Does Lee Valley handle quality tools or are they just pretty? Regards. -Guy

[Dave Balderstone]

Quality, and value for money.

djb

[Dave Balderstone]

Ooops. Noticed your address after my prior post.

I'm in Saskatoon. Join the lobby to get LV to open a store in the province!

But if you're in Edmonton, Calgary or Winnipeg, stop into the stores there and check it out for yourself. Make sure there's room on the credit card.

djb

[Unisaw A100]

You know, it's interesting that you would be bringing this up. Just the other day I was having a Bay Area Dave Moment (B.A.D.M.) while I was looking at the Lee Valley catalog.

By the way, "my" catalog has all of these Post-It-Notes sticking out the side that "I" had to provide. I really think that Lee Valley oughtta put a crow bar in their wallet and provide me with Post-It-Notes (1) when they send the catalog. Not a lot, just a couple hunnert, but I digress.

Anyways, back to my B.A.D.M. There I was looking at the pretty pictures and thinking back to my days as an amateur photographer and thinking of how much time they have/had wrapped up in the catalog with the "well above par" photography. I mean, it takes like near forever to set up a shot, not to mention all the other pre-production elements (developing all the pictures, making up the text, proofing the text and pictures, layout, re-checking that the pictures go with the words. It's enough to make your sphincter go puckty-puck all the live long day). Then it hit me. Nearly every picture has some element of wooddorking shown or has the product set up to illustrate the function of the product.

So, not only do they have the time involved that all catalogs have (actually more considering the excellence of the graphics), they probably quadrupled (all the remaining fingers on your right hand Leon) their outlay by doing the associated wooddorking.

Whether you buy from them or not, it's one of the better reads in wooddorking. It far surpasses the old Garrett Wade catalogs.

(1) Maybe they could cut the pages in a way that there would be a fold over tab in the upper right corner that could be unfolded when something of want was found?

UA100

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Regards. -Guy

You're new here huh? Welcome to the Lee Valley fan club. Be sure to buy a saddle square on your first order. It is one of the handiest tools in the shop.

So your wife does not complain, buy her the jar opener and maybe a set of Chinese scissors. Ed [e-mail]

[Charlie Self]

I got past the sphincters, thank you. Some day, Rob Lee should shoot some photos of his photo studios just to give an idea of how much effort goes into that end of the catalog production...we won't talk about the editorial end, which is just as complex, but different, nor about the layout, etc. It made me very, very jealous. I don't know if anyone else has staff photographers (I think Grizzly does), but the layout of the photos gets a fine artist's eye before the release is pressed.

As you note, it does help to have woodworkers on staff.

Charlie Self

"Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal." Alexander Hamilton

[Mike G]

Nine times out of ten you will find, when you get past being a newbie, that, with tools, pretty equals quality. Lee Valley provides both.

[Richard Cook]

Let's save all of us a lot of time and have LV ship the catalog with all the little tab markers set to the out position.

[Unisaw A100]

Hmmm? I like the cut of your jib.

UA100

[Swingman]

We all know, without saying, the penultimate place of honor for a catalog. The LV catalog could only be more perfect/efficient/convenient if Lee Valley would make the last 400 pages perforated, pullout and tear-off, Charmin.

[Bernie Hunt]

I'll double what Dave said. Quality and great value all the way!

Plus great service, can't be beat!

Bernie

Regards. -Guy

[Andrew Barss]

Guy LaRochelle wrote: : Does Lee Valley handle quality tools or are they just pretty? Regards.

-Guy

The sell excellent tools, and have great customer service.

Pretty? I think Robin Lee and his dad are maybe handsome, but dunno if 'pretty' is how I'd describe them.

-- Andy Barss

[Dan Parrell]

Regards. -Guy

[Mike Alexander]

Apparently, you haven't seen their Box Tool.

have two of them, and they are even uglier in real life (damn handy though).

...Mike