While visiting North Carolina this week, I visited the shop of blacksmith Peter Ross and saw a few of his dang-amazing full-size Andre Roubo-style holdfasts in the works.
I’ve been using this holdfast every day on my bench at home. It is an incredible piece of iron and a great asset when sawing, mortising or planing on my bench. And, best of all, it makes other holdfasts look like pipe cleaners.
Peter says he’s built about a dozen of these holdfasts since he made mine. And though they take a lot of physical effort to produce, the biggest challenge is in finding the material that is suited for a holdfast of this size.
These holdfasts are more expensive than smaller ones – about $385. But the craftsmanship is outstanding, and they function brilliantly. If you cannot swing the price of a full-on Roubo holdfast, I highly recommend the Joseph Moxon-style ones that Peter makes, which hold better in thick benches than any holdfast I’ve ever used, and they have a low profile. Those are more like $80 each. Read my discussion of them here.
You can reach Peter by phone or by e-mail through his web site: peterrossblacksmith.com/.
— Christopher Schwarz
Smythe disclaimer: You’re still reading these? OK, I paid full price. And shipping.
Chris, stop it dude, I am going broke… I got to have one now.
We’ll be broke together. I ain’t got no job.
Let’s not forget the leisure class at the bottom of the economic scale. More leisure time = more shop time. 🙂
I can’t stop staring at the floor. How thick are those “tiles”? They’re end-grain posts, right?
In the Woodwright’s Shop episode 3013: Field Gate, about 17 minutes in, they briefly talk about the floor. Roy is holding a loose piece that looks to be about 4″ thick, but I’m not sure if the floor is really that thick. Peter says it is black locust.
http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/3000/3013.html
End grain flooring has been around for over a hundred years. Our guild just did a tour of the local saw sharpening company in STL and they have one. Google search “end grain wood block floor” and you’ll find several places where you can still buy it.
e.g. http://www.jennisonwright.com/woodblock.html
It’s incredibly comfortable to stand on and very tool friendly. Wish I had a shop where I could install it; I would.
Hessler Ct. in Cleveland OH is an end grain street!, Can’t be the only one either.
Thanks everyone for the response and the leads. Now I’m wondering how this would work over a “dry” concrete slab in the basement… And how to install it. Time to do some digging. I love the look.
I’ve seen photos of floors where they basically used firewood – got some straight split and round logs, chopped them off to length, pieced it together like a mosaic. The main thing is stable humidity, the endgrain can pick up water really quickly and create some bad problems.
I have a set of Peter ‘s dividers coming this week. A holdfast may be next.
I love the new Smythe disclaimer 🙂
Peter should have a holdfast haiku contest, I am feeling lucky!
Me too on the “regular” Peter Ross holdfasts. I have one each of the fishtail and pennyfoot varieties. They are topnotch tools built by a master craftsman.
All the shops in my old High school had end grain blocks made of redwood for flooring. A wise man would know they are about as thick as brick. I have seen them in old parking lots here in Minnesota, outside for years.
Chris,
There you go again, spending your children’s inheritance.
Disclaimer – I could care less what you paid or did not pay for a tool you use and comment on. In my book you have earned your honesty and integrity over the last 10 years in publishing your thoughts and comments. My shop hand tools and ROUBO work bench attest to the value I place on your comments!
These big holdfasts are fantastic, works of art really, but I wonder if there might not be a place in the market for a less expensive version in an appropriate steel, as opposed to the traditional wrought iron.
I agree with you regarding Peter’s beautiful work, and hope to be able to afford them one day. For those of us who must be content to admire his work from afar, the Gramercy Tools holdfasts are a great alternative, as pointed out by Christopher in his P.W. blog (linked to in his post above). I’ve owned a pair for quite a while and am very happy.
http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/Merchant/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=MS-HOLDFAST.XX&Category_Code=&Search=holdfasts
I have a couple of the big Roubo-style wrought iron ones that I found in a junk store. I think there is some advantage to the extra size and length, but it would seem that a lot of the price for the new Ross monster wrought iron ones is in finding, buying and banging up the stock for them.