Green spots

Perhaps confession is in order? Last night I wasn't just refreshing the Lee Valley page on a whim. No, 'fraid not. I've known for a while that Mike Wenzloff and his boys were going to be gracing the pages of LV's catalogue and website with their wares, and well, I've been sitting on the LV credit earned by the saw handle article with a view to them... Well it's only fair - Mike was almost wholly responsible for pushing me down that hande-making Slope after I'd weened myself off the idea a few years ago after one attempt. Anyway, an example by the boys goes well with the custom-made one from the old man, right? Right? Yeah, okay, so it's a totally unjustifiable purchase in many ways, but the serendipity of having the credit and being able to support two of my favourite toolmakers (not to say good friends) at the same time is all the excuse I need. Shoot me. ;)

So Mike, stop reading the Blog and make sure those saws get off to LV in good time, d'you hear? ;P

Now he's gone, without risking over-inflating his head, I can tell you it also fulfills my usually under-financed idea of trying to invest in some of the best non-custom hand tools available in this golden age. Not to keep in a box you understand; but to use, enjoy, and hope that some future galoot, perhaps as yet unborn, will appreciate my choice just as much as I appreciated the choice of the best that I found in the Newlyn Tool Chest. Yeah, perhaps it's a silly whim on my part, but it keeps me (largely) out of trouble...

I'll tell you what doesn't keep you out of trouble though. Painting one half of a wrought iron gate with green Hammerite while your old man does the other half. Not if you're the one downwind of him anyway. Ever the enthusiastic type of brush-wielder, the wind aided and abetted him by whisking droplets in my direction. By the time we were done I looked like I had a nasty disease signified by a multitude of green dots all over the face. On the up-side he'd done all the prep work - don't think I could have faced removing more rust just now. But more on that'll have to wait 'til tomorrow - more than enough Blog entry for one day ;)