Old But Still Useful...

...just like me.

For my 21st birthday, my Grandpa gave me money to buy some woodworking tools. It makes me feel old to realize that my tools are antiques -- I bought them in 1961. I still have them all, and this smoothing plane is the one that has been used most.

In woodworking class at school we got yelled at, or worse, if we ever set a plane down with the blade in contact with anything -- the plane always had to be laid on its side. That's why my plane is raised up on blocks for the photo.

I'm not a professional woodworker, but my plane has had a lot of use. I think about my Grandpa most times I use it.