Hey guys,
I am wondering if any of you have bought the 'box of veneer' from Lee Valley recently. I scanned the pic from their catalog.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Dusty
"A man without a wife is like a fish without a bicycle."
Dusty Workshop notes:
Lee Valley is noted for providing good, honest descriptions of merchandise, as well as superb customer service. I don't know the particular package, but I'd feel safe in ordering it from them.
Charlie Self "Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold." Mark Twain
Are you a Mark Twain nut? One of my business partners is and is counting the days until more Twain observations will be released.
Are you also into Will Rogers? I wish he was still around poking at BOTH political parties. ;-)
-- Mark
Dusty - While I've not bought this particular item, I just want to echo what Charlie said in his answer to you above - you can count on Lee Valley for quality, honesty, and customer service. I'm sure they would make it right if you have a problem with it.
I've ordered several things from them - from wood screws to steel rulers. Each item was high quality, and exactly as described in the catalogue, or online. Delivery was like clockwork - within 2 - 3 days, without fail..
You'll be satisfied with whatever you order from them.
Nick B
Like everyone else has indicated, you cannot go wrong with LeeValley and they do offer an honest value in their products. That said, the woodworking show in Houston this weekend and apparently in other cities have been offering veneers for $3.00 a strip. Strips being in the 6 to 10" wide range and about 6' long. By comparing Lee Valley to the show, Lee Valley is offering over 50 sq feet for $34.50. The show is offering strips that vary per square foot from about $1.00 per square foot to about 50 cents per square foot, depending on the species you select. The shows are offering about 12 varieties vs. the Lee Valley offer of 20 species. So... you may or may not be able to do better at the show depending on your specific needs. Perhaps this comparison can be of some help in determining the value to you.
What are you after ? Maybe I'm fortunate in having a veneer dealer on my doorstep (used to have two, in a not especially large town), but if I want to buy a single veneer species, then I can beat the Lee Valley deal.
However if I wanted a _range_ of veneers, then it seems like a very good option.
For plain cabinetry, it's not especially useful. For marquetry, contrasting inlays or repair work, then it looks like a good buy.
A comment on the wood shows and the $3.00 per sheet veneer. At the Atlanta show last weekend they started selling it for $1.00 per sheet about an hour or two before the show was over. These sheets were from 4" to 18" wide and all typically were 9.5' long. Longer sheets had sometimes been cut and folded to be less than 10'.
I bought 27 sheets at the $1.00 per sheet discounted rate. Then through a stroke of pure luck a member of our woodwork> Hey guys,
Hey Dusty!!!
I've seen many of these boxes of veneer in the past as in a previous life I used to work for Lee Valley. If you want a large selection of various veneers I think this is for you.. Always seemed like nice quality and decent sizes. Comes in a box about the size of a large pizza box. (Think this is the one your referring to!) Don't count on gettening enough of one kind to do a major project tho...I've used them for medallion box lids etc...Take a chance...I think you'll like it..
Ken in Canada (eh!!)
Mark Jerde notes:
Not exactly a Twain nut, but I do appreciate his humor.
Will Rogers would probably make both sides angry today, which is a very good thing for those sides, so it's a damned shame he's not still around.
Charlie Self "Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold." Mark Twain
And if not, they have a ridiculously liberal return policy.
Silvan responds:
Believe me, it's not ridiculous. This thread is a case in point: you cannot buy advertising that will produce the number and kind of responses the OP has gotten here. You have to walk the walk to please people. When you do that, they'll bring others, often lots of others.
It's an excellent idea and a good business policy, and it's a policy very few businesses follow with the exactitude that Lee Valley uses.
Charlie Self "Everything has its limit - iron ore cannot be educated into gold." Mark Twain
You should also take a look at the veneer mixes from B&B at
--Neil
A few years back a friend of mine bought the "Pizza box of veneer" from LV. We have both done several marquetry projects using the veneer and there is still a pizza box full of the stuff. Outstanding value.
Ken Muldrew snipped-for-privacy@ucalgazry.ca (remove all letters after y in the alphabet)
Thanks for the responses,
It seems like I can't go wrong since Lee Valley will make right on it if it's a bum deal.
Dusty
I don't disagree at all. Even so, I have to rub my eyes and read it twice every time I look at that bit of text. It's incredible to me that anyone in the 21st century still has customer service that good.
If anyone else back in the 20th ever did, for that matter. Lee Valley is some outfit.
Silvan responds:
Used to be pretty much a standard thing--recall the original Satisfaction Guaranteed Sears, Roebuck & Co. slogan that was true. More small stores around, many of whom actually knew their customers, so satisfaction was kind of a good idea if you wanted peace in the neighborhood.
Today, there are several companies that make a stab at good customer service, but there always seems to be a step back from perfection. I can think of one instance where the return shipping, and the buyer's orginal shipping, are also refunded...but it's not publicized and the refunds are made only if requested. Sort of like not having them in most instances. Saves having to be more honest on product descriptions, I guess.
Lee Valley in my experience is very close to unique in their approach to catalog and on-line copy. If there's a downside to the product that they know about, they'll tell you about it. Sort of a "XXX would be better all around if the manufacturer had done YYY, but since no one else makes the blinking things at all, we're offering this one."
I takes a lot of thought and probably a lot of care over the years to stand steadfast with such a policy when the MBAs in the world will say your 5 year gross profit will be 5 times as high as without that policy. Of course, sense tells you that your 10 year gross will suck.
I think Leonard Lee came up with this policy, and it has been strengthened over the years, and is apparently solidly supported by Rob Lee. It's smart marketing, good business, and gives them a solid edge on almost all other companies in the same field.
Charlie Self "Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin - it's the triumphant twang of a bedspring." S. J. Perelman
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