Good news and bad news on the Crucible Type 2 Dividers. We will have 101 pairs for sale at our open day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at our storefront.
The bad news: We had to raise the price to $120. Steel prices are going up every time we order, and we are even lucky to have a supplier of steel at this point. I’ll be on hand to show people how to sharpen them (it takes only a minute). If you can’t attend, you can watch this quick video here.
If we have any remaining from this batch of 101, we’ll put them up in the online store next week. (Also, we are making more today.)
Other Important Information for the Open Day
Health and safety: Our ZIP code has just crossed over into the “accelerated” classification for COVID spread, and so masks are recommended indoors. Likely we’ll be wearing them. We ask that everyone maintain 6’ distance – so no hugging Megan or French kissing me.
Blemished books: We have a bunch of them from the last 19 months. Blemished books are 50 percent off retail and are cash only. Sorry, we cannot ship blemished books.
Meet the staff: The entire Lost Art Press staff will be on hand at different times during the day – not just me and Megan Fitzpatrick. That means you might get to meet Kara Gebhart Uhl (our managing editor) or John (co-owner).
We don’t know how many people will show; we hope it’s fun and not a slaughterhouse madhouse.
— Christopher Schwarz
Sorry, that’s a deal breaker. Maybe next time. 😉
The price is ridiculous.
Feel free to make them here in the USA for less.
Where I am in Australia you couldn’t even get rolls of coil steel for roof sheeting, gutters etc at one point and this stuff is so commonly used as to be considered a necessity. The price list for metal is renewed every month and is pretty much out of date before published. Obtaining small quantities of the correct grade/type of metal for small scale manufacturing is a nightmare at times and the economies of scale don’e stack up- it is whether or not they can be bothered supplying you. You want ridiculous, buying a tool that needs to be returned because it is not fit for purpose, manufactured by a company with no interest except lowest cost and specified by someone who has no clue. I don’t make tools, I know several people who do. The margins are not huge, or even reasonable sometimes to make a living.
You mean ridiculously low I hope? Try making something even close to this for less. And it’s not just materials costs either, manufacturing is minefield of unexpected expenses. Amazon and cheap imports have really skewed perceptions of reality……plus most people prefer to live in an alternate reality where buying things 12 times is somehow better than spending a bit more and buying it once. I know a guy who is still using the used refrigerator his parents gave him when he got married……..in 1955! He’s never repaired it.
I think Harbor Freight has some for $5…..
Get you some 😜
When i got mine there was no cork on the tips. Was someone injured??
Yeah my dividers….
905 miles. I’ll get out there one of these times. I’ll wait till I can hug you though.
Will you pick me up on the way?
Sure, but no hugging til we get there.
I’ll be there in spirit!
Managed to say “a little stroking” on the vid with a straight face. 10/10.
i need to sharpen some ancient starrett spring dividers. they have the really long skinny points and one got caught in my toolbox drawer and snapped off almost an inch. thanks for the vid
I’ll be there in spirit. You’ll know it when you suddenly get that creepy shiver thing. Really hoping it doesn’t happen in the bathroom again. That was too much for even me.
What about German kissing?
While I would love to visit you guys, that’s not in the cards for the foreseeable future. Sad for me. However, my consolation arrived in the mail today: my very own Type 2 Divider! I gotta say, hubby and I both were like, “whoa…” These things have Presence!! So excited to try them out on a project. The ONLY downside I can see is that these kinda make my lighter built dividers seem wimpy. 😉
Far East Wales kissing?
Do you kiss your mam with that mouth, boy? That’s nasty!
Eew what is German kissing, never mind I don’t want to know. ( I’m of German decent for the PC in the crowd)
So, I hate to mention this but Red R$&# makes dividers and a kick ass Sector, really works of art.
Even if they shamelessly copied everything you do they do a great job doing that.
Are they copying you, riding on your coattails are you getting a stipend?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Nope. We don’t have any licensing arrangements for tools.
I would like to mention that I was developing my dividers after Crucible ceased production of their original dividers, and I suspect both myself and Chris were working to bring them to the market without either of us knowing what the other was doing. There are some similarities in my hinge design and the reworked hinge on the Crucible dividers, but this was coincidental in nature.
A 10 dollar cork. Either that or you there’s a lawsuit pending.
If inflation keeps rising, which is more likely than not, $120 will look like a bargain.
Looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing the shop! (and hopefully snagging a blemished book or three)