The first thought that comes into my mind concerning this subject is borrowing and lending tools. I wish I were able to do this part of the subject full justice, but perhaps space in Carpentry and Building would not be available for me to enlarge upon it. When I began the trade it was expected that every journeyman should furnish his own tools to work with. Nowadays it seems to be that each one expects some one else to furnish him tools. It is said, and I believe it is true, that there is no other trade which has so large a proportion of botches to skilled workmen as that of carpentry. The question arises—why is it so? It seems to me that borrowing tools causes more of it than all other reasons put together. This perhaps is a broad assertion, but arguments can be advanced in proof of it.
A first-class kit of tools costs at present from $150 to $250. How many kits of this kind do we find among mechanics? There is certainly not one in 25, if one in 50, that would invoice at the former figure. Can a man do a good job of work without suitable tools? No! Then what is he to do if he has the work laid out for him and he is without the necessary tools? There is no other remedy than borrowing, or else he must bungle the job with tools not adapted to the purpose. It would not pay to buy a tool for a single job—this is the usual excuse—and so men will work on, year after year, without tools enough to complete any one piece of work in a decent manner, except by borrowing.
Such men are not real mechanics. They do not start, in the first place, to learn the trade, nor do they ever expect to become first-class workmen. They buy a few tools just to do rough work, and, finding that they can get a trifle more wages at carpentry than they can at driving a team or shoveling dirt, they continue to work in that line. As they have no investment in tools to speak of, they can afford to work for less than regular wages. They are not backward, however, about running to good workmen to borrow. Sometimes they borrow and fail to return them, and then the competent mechanic is forced to hunt up his tools, causing great inconvenience.
It is sometimes claimed that the carpenter does not need many tools nowadays, as work is all got out at the mills. It is said that all the carpenter needs is a saw and a hammer, with which to cut the joints and nail them together. This is a great mistake. Notwithstanding a large amount of the work that was formerly done by hand is now made by machinery, it still requires many different tools and skillful labor to put it together. Even though casings and cornices are ripped out by machinery, I find I often have use for a rip saw, yet I know a workman (he is not a mechanic) who has been in the trade for years who never owned a rip saw. Of course, he has to borrow.
Who are responsible for this state of things? I answer, first and foremost, the bosses are to blame. I have been told more than once, “You need not take many tools; there are two or three men there already with their tool boxes, so there are plenty of tools at the job; a saw and a hammer are all that you need.” Directions of this kind are given upon the supposition that if one or two men have tools they must, as a matter of course, allow their use by all the others who may be set to work on the same job. Second, workmen themselves are not blameless. They should not allow others to impose upon them to the extent that is now common. They should have dignity enough to say to their employers, as well as to their fellow workmen, “I buy what tools I use, and I shall expect you to buy yours.” This would soon bring about quite a different state of affairs.
I do not mean to convey the idea that I would never borrow or lend, for I find it necessary in some cases to borrow, and much oftener to lend. Suppose I have a man at work, and say to him, “I want you to make a window frame with parting stops,” and he should say, “I have not got a plow to plow the jams with.” I should reply, “Well, I want you to make that frame, and I have nothing else for you to do until that is made.” From this the man could at once decide either to buy a plow or seek a job elsewhere. On the other hand, if he should say, ”I did not expect to have use for my plow here, and did not bring it; if you can find something else for me for the present, I will have it here this afternoon or to-morrow” — under the circumstances, I would be an unreasonable man if I did not at once offer mine for the present occasion.
A. A. F., Cleveland, Ohio.
Carpentry and Building – January 1882
– Jeff Burks
“triffle more wages [than] digging dirt”
In my town in 1850, a carpenter earned as much as the street sweeper. A shop assistant earned 6 times more. That really puts a sobering perspective on all the(ir) old tools I own for my pleasure.
So the western narrative leading to consumerism is deeply rooted. Each person must have one of everything, lest they be shamed or shunned.
A.A.F would have difficulty understanding the very 21st century idea of ‘tool libraries’ which is changing the narrative of the hyper independent individual, perfected in the 20th century, to the more interdependent, collective century of today -a narrative entirely necessary by the reality of the physical impossibility of everyone having one of everything – though not yet well modeled in our economics.
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I think the ‘narrative’ you refer to is much more widespread than just a ‘western’ narrative. Consumerism can be found in practically every corner of the world. I have nothing against ‘tool libraries’, but I have never seen or used one of these establishments. I don’t know if it’s a 21st century idea or not, but in my neck of the woods we have these things called ‘tool rental centers’ where one pays money to use a tool for a period of time and then returns said tool. I’ve used this type of business with great success. And for the record, they never made me feel shamed or shunned because I don’t own my own post-hole digger, jack hammer, or bed edger.
In my experience, people are much more careful with their own tools than with other people’s tools.For example, I have loaned out my chop saw twice; the second time it was returned I discovered that the borrower had accidentally cut the power cord in half, performed a sloppy repair, and returned the tool to me without mentioning the damage. Perhaps I could have looked at the giant wad of black electrical tape on the power cord and thought “damn my hyper independent individualism”, but in reality the experience was depressing and soured me on any future tool lending. This is why I am in favor of ‘tool libraries”. Borrow, rent or buy your tools as you see fit, just don’t borrow mine.
P.S. If you’d like to use my chop saw, the answer is “no”.
Consumerism is an idea spread by the western mind. It is not or was not the norm in most of the world for 1000’s of years. Today we have labels for anything which is not consumerism and there is a global shunning of any other system by the dominant economic players.
We have much to relearn about working collaboratively and within a community. We have lost community and the corresponding understanding of its functions and etiquette, which is part of the problem. Shunning and shaming can be used to great effect to either force people to be independent or to work collectively. But cooperation has been shown to be more effective than competition and so there is incentive to remain part of the community. Everyone cannot do everything for themselves. Even in a consumer world, we rely on others to feed, clothe and supply us. But we’ve replaced community with places we do business at our peril.
I believe the 21st century will force us to return to these ideas as the forces which kept us isolated and allowed us to be independent melt away.
There was an old adage to return borrowed items in better condition than they were provided. That chopsaw should have been returned with a new or sharpened blade, new cord and a proper cleaning as payment for the privilege of its use and for the continued opportunity to do so.
You’re quite right not to lend out your tools to that person again – but you should also have a face-to-face with that person and address the issue and let them know the proper rules for borrowing tools. The consequence of being shunned by your neighbors however has little meaning if your neighbors change ever 12 months. but as mobility becomes increasingly difficult again, we will once again, discover the long term relationships we have to build with the people we rely on and this is the contract which keeps the tool borrowing in proper check.
Thanks for at least engaging in the discussion!
In general I agree with what you are saying but my experience with tool rental businesses in my area has been a mixed bag. Living about 15 miles from town means that it is very inconvenient and time consuming to have to drive back to the rental place to deal with a piece of equipment or a tool that doesn’t function properly or is missing a critical part that wasn’t obvious when I picked it up. I always try to check out the tool and make sure it functions before I leave the store but invariably I miss something or something is broken that isn’t obvious. Maybe I’m just unlucky but it seems the same guy who borrowed your chopsaw has rented the tool I need before me and failed to mention that he broke it, or maybe the tool rental people don’t believe in fixing anything unless it is on the clock.
Whether you call it consumerism, collecting, or just hoarding, I think that is completely different, in both mind and substance, from preparedness. Coming to a job with a proper kit of tools and the knowledge of how to use them is paramount to being a skilled craftsman. Otherwise you are just unskilled labor, which is in over abundance already. Even apprentices, at least the good ones, respected the tools and what they could do with the right knowledge and practice. Owning a tool provides the opportunity to fully understand it, tune it, and fine tune your ability to make it work to a much higher degree than would be possible if you only borrow or rent it on the occasion you need it. For some things you probably don’t need a high degree of skill. For others it is critical. So it makes sense to me that part of building my skills involves learning which tools I need to own, which tools I don’t need, and which ones I may need access to only occasionally. So I buy tools I want or think I need and decide if they fit with the way I like to work. I also have good friends who own tools I don’t have who know I respect their tools as much as I respect my own. Our throwaway society has fostered a disrespect for tools, and products in general, and is contributing to a growing and overall ignorance and helplessness throughout the population. Consumerism is definitely a contributing factor but I think ignorance and a lack of self reliance are major players too. Anyway, my two cents.
I think there’s another way to look at this: on a job site, it isn’t necessary that everyone have every tool. A certain amount of sharing is necessary. But on the other hand, people intending to work in any field should have their own basic tools, whether provided by their employer or themselves. If every accountant in a tax firm had to share a single calculator, that would be a problem. If there were only half as many computers as programmers at Google, that would be an issue. We’ve moved to a society where the employer provides most of the tools, but still… each worker needs their own tools.
To look at specifically mechanics and joiners… if five people are making windows, and only one of them has a plow plane, what happens? How about if only one of them has a miter box? Or a hammer? The fact is, work goes faster when everyone has their own tools. Then they know where each tool is, and they won’t have to go hunting to find out where that tool they need for 30 seconds right now is.
Also… I suspect it’s not a “western narrative.” I’d bet that joiners in China were expected to provide their own tools just as the ones in America were.
As a former carpenter, this one is easy to answer. If you own most of the tools you use to make a living you are a craftsman. If someone else owns them you are a factory worker. I’d rather be a craftsman.
As an avid tool user and owner, I am for a balanced approach. My spouse and I have a fair amount of tooling for our work/avocations: home repair, woodworking and cabinetry (electrically-tailed and increasingly calorie powered), landscaping, minor arborist work. In short, tools sufficient to the maintenance of a sub-rural smallholding that doesn’t provide the bulk of our food and fiber. It is expanding beyond that I worry about–I really am not a tool collector!
However, our tool library of choice has been found at garage sales and craigslist, which are effective means to recycle tools as needed and expand or contract your personal tool library. The real one-off uses (power auger) etc., I will rent or cost share with friends with like needs. But in defense of purchasing a tool “just in case” I have found tools like hammer nail pullers that I did not know I needed until I needed it, and that $1 buy at a garage sale a year or two earlier saved me time and money.
What I see as a societal problem is the consumerism that causes folks to purchase tools or equipment that promises a “quick, easy, and professional” result (count on two out of three of those at best), using the latest and greatest tool set on offer, a shill completely out of scale with need or knowledge, or in the absence of knowledge, a willingness to learn. The consumer then buys a tool way out of scale with true need (how many people would do better with an eggbeater drill vs the latest from DeWalt or Ryobi), may or may not know how to use it, and ends up with a smattering of disused tools and a vaguely sense of lessened self worth as the incomplete or poorly done repair or project rebukes them by its mere presence.
What is really needed is training, knowledge and controlled experiences that many had in shop and which now rarely occurs.
A relative once asked to borrow my shotgun. It is a real nice browning. I politely refused. When later asked why I was so mean, I pointed to his shotgun which was held together with duct tape.
My kit is a mixture of a few nice Veritas specialty planes and assorted vintage stuff. I’m pretty chuffed to realize that I own a servicable version of everything pictured in the illustration.
I’m a socialist all matters of health care, old-age pensions, unions, workplace/product safety but the only tool I’ll lend out is one that I won’t miss.
As for having all the tools in the kit, I have the tools to make those tools!