When we are packing your orders, we start to "recognise" you. A great many of you shop more than once, and we think that is a good sign for what we do. We try to give you the chance to buy the very best in hand tools and accessories. We have kept growing through the summer, which is usually fairly quiet. We have lined up new deliveries that will start rolling in over the coming weeks. More on that further down.
We have had some problems with the automatic shipping booking we used, so it is now done partly by hand. But for me, as a lover of geography, every day of booking is like Christmas Eve, because you really come from every part of our very long country. When we book, we use the address you entered, and the postcode and town are filled in from it. Many places are familiar, of course, but quite a few are unknown. Then I usually guess where in the country you are, and when I move on I get six Service Points closest to your address. Among them there is usually at least one larger town, so you can place where in the country you live.
A couple of years ago we seriously considered putting up a big map of Sweden and sticking a pin in every place we had shipped to. Had we done so, it would have been full of pins everywhere.
A smaller delivery from Veritas is on its way to us right now. It is what we call a "catch-up" delivery. These are usually a bit smaller, with products Veritas can produce more quickly or has on the shelf. This time it is a bit of everything. Among other things, we are getting this sharpening system. It is actually new to us, but it has been around for a very long time: it is the forerunner of the honing guide Veritas is known for today. We are also getting a few DX60 block planes.
Veritas Sharpening System
Veritas DX60
Right now a large cargo ship is sailing through the Mediterranean. It has been on its way from Taiwan, with a short stop in Singapore, since the middle of summer, and is heading for Rotterdam in the Netherlands to unload. In one of its many containers is some cargo on its way to us. What is it?
It is long-awaited clamps from Ehoma! As soon as we know the cargo has been unloaded and is on a lorry, we will update the website and start taking orders.
If you have an older plane, it may need a new blade. That is where Hock comes in. Hock is based in northern California and makes plane blades and marking and chip-carving knives, among other things. We stock almost their whole range, and if they have a blade we don't, we will bring it in for you. We have had a couple of deliveries over the summer; they have had some problems with the coronavirus too.
Hock
A new manufacturer is coming to us shortly: Klingspor, which makes abrasives among other things. We will be getting their sanding pads, perfect when you want to restore an old saw or plane, and some sandpaper too. More in the next newsletter.
We have sold Tormek for 5–6 years now. When we started, the T-7 and T-3 were the models. Since then two brand-new machines have arrived, the T-8 and T-4, and the T-4 spawned the Bushcraft version (Tormek T-4 Bushcraft). Now the T-8 has an offshoot too: the T-8 Custom (Tormek T-8 Custom).
The T-8 Custom comes bare, without the grinding and honing wheels and the jigs included with the T-8 Original. We think this is very clever. If you have an older T-7 or a 2000, for example, you will have collected things that also work on the T-8. Or perhaps you only want the Japanese stone and not the original stone, or one of the diamond wheels. Or perhaps you will only use it for sharpening drill bits, in which case you don't need the jigs that come with it. This way you can put together your very own machine. You will find all the machines, wheels and accessories with us.
Tormek sharpening machines
From the beginning of September we will open the "shop" for a couple of hours a day. We will announce opening hours nearer the time. We are still busy sprucing it up so it is as nice as possible to walk around and look at all our products. After all, we have everything you find in the online shop on the shelf. We think the fairest way to treat you is to be honest about what is in stock, rather than relying on someone else, a middleman, to keep stock that we order from. If nothing else, this spring and summer have clearly shown that that way of running an online shop is not sustainable in the long run.
We would also like to say that right now we have passed 6,000 followers on Facebook. That is great fun. Look us up there if you don't already follow us.
There are also just over 1,700 of you receiving this newsletter, with more every week. You are also very good at opening (and reading) it: around 50 % do so every time. For similar newsletters that figure is normally perhaps 15–20 %.
Until next time, take care and stay safe!
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