Lee Valley Router Bits

[Thomas Mitchell]

Anyone have an opinion on this brand? Never bought one and I think they have a keyhole bit that will work for my cribbage board dilemna.

Thomas

[Bob S.]

It may have sounded like I meant you have to tell Robin personally should you have a problem. Not so, the staff at Lee Valley is "empowered" and can fix any problem faster than you can imagine and they do it cheerfully. I have dealt with them via on-line ordering, phone, and have visited the store on a number of occasions while on business trips to Ottawa. They have the greatest jobs in the world and whatever it is they do for their employee's certainly works - and it shows !

(enough shilling for Lee Valley, Robin - just send the low angle block plane to.....)

Bob S.

[Dave]

I have nothing but glowing reports for LeeValley (no, I don't work there or know anyone who does). I recently got a cheque from them... seems they lowered their price of the WWII (which I recently purchased from them) and sent me the difference back. Cool.

Dave.

Bob S. wrote:

[Preston Andreas]

Here is a post from Robin Lee in March, 2001 in response to a question about Lee Valley's router bits.

Hi,

I guess I must have missed your previous post - I do try to respond to all inquiries made in rec.ww .

Our router bits are made by a Taiwanese manufacturer, to our specifications. This manufacturer makes several quality levels of bits (some really good, some not so!). We specify CNC grinding, with either a 400X or 600X finish grind - his highest quality level. The factory is ISO 9002 certified.

When you're buying a router bit (or any other product for that matter) what you're really buying is the support and service of the company you buy from. No one in this business (for the long term anyway) wants to sell you something once - we all want you as a customer for a long time.

We feel our router bits hit the price/performance point that provides excellent value for the majority of our customers. Are they the best bits? It depends on what you're looking for - we're very pleased with them!

As I've said before (in this forum) there are several manufacturers of good quality bits - Dimar (Amana in US, made in Israel), CMT (Italy) and Jesada (US), to name a few. All of these hit different price/performance points.

In the recent FWW router bit test, at least 5 of the bits (possibly seven) from different retail companies came from the same manufacturing plant. Some of these were high grade, some were low grade. FWW certainly found differences!

As a consumer, it's increasingly difficult to judge who "really" manufactures all their bits, and at which quality level. As an example, take a bit (say a red one) - do you really know where it's made??? A given bit (say 1/4 straight) may come from two or more factories, in two or more countries within a short period of time - just depends on who quoted a lower price for that run!

Sorry to be so long winded, but there's no easy answer to your question!

Cheers,

[Sweet Sawdust]

[Thomas Mitchell]

[Robin Lee]

Thanks Preston -

Don't have to find that post again now!

Cheers,

Rob Lee Lee Valley

specifications.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

I've used a few of them. Good results so far. I did trash a 1/4" cutter, but it was me, not the bit that was the problem. The slot cutter and rabbeting bit have performed as well as I'd expect. I'll buy them again. Ed