a real bargain

[Ken S]

Lee Valley offers a week of free shipping (for orders of more than $40) several times a year. (This one just ended; get on their email list.) I keep a list of the small stuff I would like, but don't want to pay shipping to get.  Things like their super fridge magnets fall into this category for me.

This last week my order included one of their Veritas striking knives.  Here it the link:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=69870&cat=1,42936,42949&1

For less than ten dollars, this is a terrific marking knife.  Essentially it is like the seventy dollar premium marking knives with a composite handle instead of rosewood.  The steel is A2 and it arrives razor sharp.  I'm quite sure any refining I would do to the blade would only detract.  The blade is long and thin with a single bevel ground in both directions.  It should be a superb dovetailing knife.

It is a combination of first quality steel very well machined and ground with a perfectly functional and ergonomic handle which is not beautiful.  I recommend it highly.

Ken

[mike40]

I get that LV newsletter Ken. The problem is that the free shipping is always limited to the US and Canada. I have bought a few things from LV in the past, but the freight was horrendous. My local woodworking store does carry Veritas hand planes. The regular Jack plane costs $500 here (kr. 3,000). That would of course include shipping costs and our 27% added value tax, plus some customs duties. Some mail order companies have started to give free shipping all over the world. I hope LV and other tool companies will follow suit some day.

[Ken S]

Good point, Mike. An excellent reminder that this is indeed a global forum. I think we are heading toward free international shipping.

Some of our US politicians would like to see a "fair tax" here to replace our Internal Revenue Service.  I suspect a national sales tax would be in addition to the other taxes.  that's too political for this forum.

Back to the topic, if you happen to order anything from Lee Valley or find the knife from another source in Europe, with the added costs, if it is not a bargain,  it is at least a very well made tool.