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We have a general exchange of small gifts in the shop around the holidays, and these gifts are usually along the lines of some tool that caught the imagination of someone in the shop due to perfect design or function, utility, or fun factor. I'd be interested in seeing what others are giving/hoping to receive, but in the meantime, here is my own list of tools that made my holiday short list:

1. Sterling Roubo Curves: This set of three 'french' curves is executed in 304 stainless with a nicely tumbled finish, and unlike the collection of plastic and wood ship's curves and french curves we have in the shop, may be used with a sharp knife to directly cut pick guard material. While clear plastic curves are easier to use for some work (like head plate/fret board extension layout work), these larger curves (the largest is 18" long!) are really nice for work where a cutting edge is involved. $90.

http://www.sterlingtoolworks.com/store/#!/Sterling-Roubo-Curves/p/52063286/category=12516967

2. Crucible Tool dividers: Expensive at $120, but perfect. If you use dividers for layout work (we do), these are the bee's knees.

https://crucibletool.com/products/crucible-improved-pattern-dividers

3. Frank's Crank: The boss was given one of these string winders by a commission customer after a few weeks of playing his new guitar. Just short of $100, but once again a near-perfect tool that has replaced power string winders for most work here in the shop.

https://shop.gryphonstrings.com/products/frank-fords-corner-frank-ford-rosewood-handle-string-cranks

4. OLFA SVR-2 Slim Stainless Auto Lock Utility Knife: Small, stainless blade and body, safe locking design, cheap ($8) and perfectly sized for an apron knife. Just the thing to cut down on my boss's addiction to single edged razor blades, and inexpensive enough to buy a half dozen to hand out to fellow builders as a 'was thinking of you!' gift.

https://www.amazon.com/OLFA-5019-Stainless-Auto-Lock-Utility/dp/B0006O87O6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479308054&sr=8-1&keywords=olfa+slimline+knife

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A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower

great sets of wood, can't have to many!!!!
Router bits for bindings-etc. can't have to many!.
Wine (maybe)always!!!! can't have to much!!!
Time in the shop uninterrupted..
Definitely need as much time as I can get out there!!!!!!!!!!!
some snow & friends & love ones all around.
Mike

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Mike Collins

I just want a great big bag of "aroundtoits" as I never seem to have enough!

Cheers, Bob

Nice! Love the sting winder.

One can never go wrong with a good Single Malt in my world.

Some stocking-stuffer ideas (i.e., not prohibitively expensive):

Rolls of 3M Stikit Gold PSA sandpaper. I find that stuff to be really handy. You can get larger rolls on eBay than they sell at StewMac.

Incra measuring/marking tools, along with a supply of 0.5 mm plastic mechanical pencils. I get a lot of mileage out of their T rules, bend rule, protractor, and such.

StewMac String Action Gauge and/or String Spacing Rule. Darn useful, both of them.

Cheap, tiny flashlights. Being able to keep these stashed all over my shop, for occasional peeking into dark nooks and crannies, has been a big help to me.

Cheap steel 6 inch rules. You know, the skinny kind with one flat end and one round end. It's shocking how often I use these for things other than measuring, (scraping glue, pushing back my cuticles, all sorts of things).

Small center finding rules. Center lines rule my world as a builder.

Steel or brass gauge blocks, purchased in pairs (i.e., two sets at a time). These make marking standard thicknesses really fast and easy, and I use the thicker ones to align the drum on my drum sander to the conveyor. One on each end of the drum (stripped of its sandpaper) gets me perfectly parallel in no time at all.

Pass this list along to family members who struggle to find inexpensive gifts you will actually use.

I know what my best Christmas present will be.
My eldest Daughter (and BF) have invited us down for the season instead of us being "Hotel North" this year.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I'd like to have one of those Veritas shooting board planes. I'll settle for a keyless chuck for the drill press though.

Oh... and more wood!


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The Lie-Nielsen small block plane and the violin maker's block plane.


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You know, I may accidentally leave this window open on my computer for the next few weeks.

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George :-)

I asked for the Gore/Gilet books for Christmas last year, but it was out of print. They came in August, so I told my wife to wrap them for this year, as I'm a bit to busy to do much reading right now.
There's a pretty good chance, based on age and mental state, that I'll be completely surprised on Christmas morning! I'm with Dan on the single malt, too!

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

It has to be a plane, even if I don't need any more of them. A nice not uber expensive like an hakano would do the trick.
That and a 4 feet board of quartered, straight and free of voids and knots old growth Brazilian rosewood.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

HNT Gordon Spoke shaves! Really great tools. The one with the round sole is a real pleasure to use for neck carving. Not cheap, but really a great tool. Not for gross wood removal, but for getting that smooth cut in thin shavings. He has two, one standard size and one narrower one. I have the standard, and just ordered the narrow one. It will be perfect for that heel to neck transition curve that's always seems hard to work. He has a full line of planes, spoke shaves and other tools. And the prices are good with the current exchange rate AUD/USD.
Here is the standard spoke shave.
https://www.hntgordon.com.au/gidgee-spo ... blade.html

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I too love a great heirloom plane, but on the more accessible end of things, these are a few tools I've found indispensable for lutherie, and the fit both the wallet and nicely in a stocking...

INCRA Precision Tiny T-Rule 3-Inch This stays within arms reach whenever I'm working.
https://www.amazon.com/INCRA-TINYT03-Precision-T-Rule-3-Inch/dp/B002GU68LM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479397086&sr=8-1&keywords=incra+3inch+t (hoping this Amazon link works to give Lance some OLF kickback - if not, be sure to go through his Amazon link above, great way to give back to OLF if you're doing online holiday shopping)

INCRA CENTER12 Centering Rule 12-Inch
https://www.amazon.com/INCRA-CENTER12-Centering-Rule-12-Inch/dp/B002GU68M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479397389&sr=8-1&keywords=incra+centering+rule

Incra T-RULE18 Precision Marking T-Rule
https://www.amazon.com/Incra-T-RULE18-Precision-Marking-T-Rule/dp/B00004TRBY/ref=pd_sim_469_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00004TRBY&pd_rd_r=XBXDQVTETJMBX3W1P8FJ&pd_rd_w=J31lT&pd_rd_wg=hXL77&psc=1&refRID=XBXDQVTETJMBX3W1P8FJ

Pentel GraphGear 500 Automatic Drafting Pencil
https://www.amazon.com/Pentel-GraphGear-Automatic-Drafting-PG525A/dp/B0006HXQXA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1479397215&sr=8-4&keywords=5mm+mechanical+pencil

Veritas® Workshop Striking Knife - I keep a couple of these around. Great for striking lines in more traditional woodworking, pushing inlay around as I drop them into routed pockets, I even use it for final fitting of my x-brace notches. (Keep sharp on an 8000 grit stone)
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Page.aspx?p=69870

If you want to get someone and heirloom quality marking knife, I don't think you could beat a Blue Spruce Marking Knife
http://www.bluesprucetoolworks.com/marking-knives

Earlier this year I picked the flat sole HNT shave David Barron used in his demo video. BEAUTIFUL tool, and hefty, too. I can't wait to use it on a neck in the next two weeks.


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Grit Laskin's new book, "Grand Complications," is at the top of my list this year.

Grand Complications: 50 Guitars and 50 Stories from Inlay Artist William "Grit" Laskin https://www.amazon.com/dp/1927958849/re ... lyb54HD6M1

Other things on my list include Al Carruth's Ultimate Scraper and the Fret Rocker from Stew Mac, and some mini spiral downcut bits from LMI. I asked for stabalized knife scales from Gallery Hardwoods, but that might be getting too deep into the weeks for my family

If you're interested in spokeshaves, you owe it to yourself to look at the Detail Compass Shave from Dave's Shaves.

http://www.ncworkshops.com/products.html

A beautiful tool, and one Windsor chair makers, who live and die by their shaves, swear by.

Steve

I think one of the best gifts when you don't know what to get would be a Stew Mac or LMI gift card.

My issue is that except for something expensive like an oscillating spindle sander or a Tormek/Work sharp system - I really don't know what I would like.... But invariably I need stuff for my next build like tuners, nuts, saddles, bridge pins, and stuff like this. Or... Maybe a set of plans/template, a book, video or something.

And a gift card makes it easier to scratch that itch.

Thanks

JS

I have that Dave's Shaves detail compass shave. I like it so much I bought a bunch of blades and made my own handles for about 4-5 other sizes. The parallel-to-the-surface blade is easy to use and does a great job. In the work we do with a narrow point of contact between the blade and workpiece, you can set the blade at different depths at either side to do rougher and finer work without changing tools.

Priced right, great quality

Ed

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso