Sorry for my lack of manners and forgetting to tell you all who I was
before stepping out of lurk mode and jumping in with the questions: A
bit about me: I’m Andrew Bouland from Belleville, IL (metro St. Louis
area) and I’m a ripe old 35 years old.

I started getting interested in old tools from the time when I was first
allowed to go get myself a coke from the fridge in my grandpa’s garage.
The smells and the sights were mystical to me and I guess formed an
impression that has slowly worked its way to the surface. I got all of
my grandfather’s tools a few years back and thankfully managed to get a
few bits of wisdom before he passed. He was by no means a woodworker but
was just a man trying to do the best he could by his family making do
with what he had and buying wisely when what he had wasn’t good enough
(not unlike myself I hope). This more than anything is probably more of
what got me into old tools. Along the way I’ve spent many an afternoon
of my youth watching St. Roy with my dad and trying out a few of the
ideas we saw there. When I got out of college I discovered a few things:
that I was broke, that most furniture you could buy new was crap, that
most tools for sale new were either crap or out of my ! price range. I
started forming my own collection of user tools by hitting yardsales on
Saturdays after work and buying every reasonably priced worthwhile tool
that I could find/afford. Right now my collection is largely a dull pile
of rust but I’ve got enough decent users to keep me functional and I’m
slowly starting to make the time to restore some things and separate the
wheat from the chaff as it were. I appreciate the tailed apprentices for
the time they save me and have even had a bit of a jaunt into the world
of the Japanese. While I hope to one day free myself of the tether to
the wall outlet, I also have limited time and perhaps am too results
oriented right now to be able to do it just yet. In any event I’d like
to make it to the grave with both eyes and all of my fingers intact so
hopefully I will see the light and cut the cord soon before I get a
final glimpse of the flying splinter.

Thanks to all for the recent advice and in general to all for the forum
and the place to share ideas and wisdom. I’m not far enough along to be
able to contribute much but with time hopefully I’ll be able to put back
in what I’m getting out right now. Thanks for helping me realize that
perhaps 12 saws isn’t necessarily 11 too many and for helping understand
that even if you do own 5 No.5s they should never be stacked on their
sides all together in plain sight of SWMBO like I have mine now. Future
thanks from my daughter for hopefully helping me get my saw/brace/[lane
problem under control before my piles of rust take over more than just
the garage and basement. Maybe if I teach her “wood shavings on the
floor” SWMBO will go a bit easier on me. Thanks again, Andrew

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