It's What's Between You and the Wood - Quality from Your Hand to Heirloom |
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Greetings!
I know it has been a while since our last newsletter. Chalk it up to the unique challenges of our time. Thanks to you, we have been busy, all of us working, which says woodworkers are productive in their shops. Thanks to your purpose, we have a good purpose, too. It keeps us going in more ways than I can describe.
Although I do not enjoy speaking in public and have lately pretty much declined every offer to do so, I did a couple of online Zoom or Zoom-like chats. The most recent with the Diablo Woodworkers in the San Francisco Bay Area seems to me to have focused and crystallized what I have to say about how I got into this career and what I think and know about the tools we make at Hock Tools. The Zoom format is by far not a professional video. But we edited it and added some visuals to make it more informative. I hope you find it interesting.
Also, please read and click through the Shout-Out about Brian Boggs. Linda saw an article about Brian in Craftsmanship Quarterly. If you do not already know Brian and the caliber of his work and thinking process as a designer and crafts person, you will want to read this article by Janine Latus.
And what do you know, our marking knives found their way into Fine Homebuilding, thanks to editor and author Justin Fink. Thanks Justin; it is an honor.
Please take a good look at Cameron Baxter Lewis’s recent email about help for disaster victims who are artists and craftspeople. CERF+ is all our friend, a great organization that is ready when the need strikes.
Of course, if there is anything you need from Hock Tools, please let me know.
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Ron Hock
Hock Tools
(888) 282-5233
(707) 964-2782
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Becomes Hock Tools' New Video
COVID time means fewer woodworking shows but more (and relaxed)
online chats with woodworking clubs. Diablo Woodworkers met with Ron for a couple of hours on Zoom, and together they turned a chat on Zoom into a new video covering classic questions about blades:
How Sharp is Sharp? What is Better, 01 or A2?
What are the Best Sharpening Stones?
Is a Strop Worth it?
To Back Bevel or Not to Back Bevel?
DIY Heat Treating?
Should I Read Ron's Book:
Hint: the answer to the last question is, "Yes, of course!"
And...More!
Click Below to Watch.
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The Perfect Edge; The Ultimate Guide to Sharpening
for Woodworkers
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Much of the Diablo Woodworker's Zoom Chat and Video center's on information found in Ron's book,
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Shout-Out
by Janine Latus
What a delightful surprise to find Brian Boggs in the current issue of the
to end. You get to know Brian and learn yet more about what it takes to
make wooden furniture from the brain, the heart, and the hands.
- Linda at Hock Tools
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"For Boggs, it’s because the tools you have define what you can make....
He says, '...if you can’t speak the language in the country you’re in, it’s
hard to express your thoughts. In woodworking, the infrastructure of the
shop creates the language of your work.'"
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Hock Tools Marking Knives Featured
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According to Justin Fink, editor at Fine Homebuilding in his October 2020 issue article Make Your Mark, "When you scribe a razor-thin line into the surface of a piece of wood with a sharp, metal marking knife, you make it easier to register a chisel for a mortise, or make a saw cut without risk of tearing out the grain. These knives come in a lot of shapes and sizes, but the best ones have a beveled cutting edge backed up by a flat face. This allows the back of the marking knife to ride on a reference surface—a piece of wood or a combination square, for instance—with the bevel on the waste side of the cutline."
We are thrilled, and want to thank Justin for choosing to feature the Hock Tools marking knives!
Hock Tools' Marking Knives - both our #MK075 (3/32" x 3/4" x 7" - $33.00 retail) and our #MK025 (1/16" x 1/4" x 7" - which, by the way, is an ideal dove-tail chisel - $30.00 retail) - are made with one-side only bevels, as well as spear points, making them perfect for scribing fine lines against a straight edge.
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Once again, CERF+
Comes to the Aid of Wildfire Victims
Please read this email sent by
Cameron Baxter Lewis's, Director of Emergency Relief
and Recovery Resources.
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The Western United States, including Oregon, Washington, and California, are suffering historic wildfire seasons. The August Complex Fire, sparked by lightning, initially caused 37 fires in the Mendocino National Forest and is now the largest fire in California history. Almost 3 million acres have burned across the state of California.
In Oregon, the Beachie Creek and Riverside fires are expected to merge around the suburbs of Portland. Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland has declared a state of emergency.
Fires have also scorched more than 350,000 acres in Washington, including the town of Malden, which was engulfed so quickly that deputies drove through the streets, yelling for people to evacuate.
Fires have also been reported in Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. You can visit your State Emergency Management Agency for more information regarding public safety.
As firefighters, emergency managers, and other disaster agencies work to contain the fires, CERF+ is responding to requests for assistance from artists that have been impacted.
If you are an artist working in a craft discipline (or you know one) that has been affected by the fires, CERF + is here to help.
Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Resources for Artists
Our Studio Protector is the go-to resource for artists affected by emergencies and has tips, tools, and information to help you prepare for and recover from an emergency.
CERF+ Emergency Relief for Artists Working In Craft Disciplines
Emergency Relief – CERF+'s emergency assistance includes grants and/or brokered assistance, such as booth fee waivers and discounts or donations of supplies and equipment. To learn more about our eligibility requirements and guidelines, visit our website or contact us at relief@cerfplus.org.
Stay safe and let us know if we can do anything to help.
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Director of Emergency Relief and Recovery Services |
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CERF+ Responds to Disasters of all kinds, including hurricanes and floods. If you make your living as a fine woodworker, please check out CERF+
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For Previous Editions of Sharp & to the Point; A Shameless Shill for Hock Tools,
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Reminder!
If you would like to update your subscriber profile by changing your
email addresses, your name, etc., please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter to click on Update Profile in the Hock Tools footer below.
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T h a n k Y o u
f o r
C h o o s i n g
H o c k T o o l s !
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3 8 Y e a r s
o f
E x c e l l e n c e
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L e t 's G e t S o c i a l |
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Ron Hock is Past-President
& now Treasurer of
Continuing the Legacy
of James Krenov
with Awards & Scholarships for Woodworkers.
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