Lie-Nielsen Toolworks

[Jack01]

It looks like the only option to buy Lie-Nielsen Tools is direct from Lie Nelson.

Woodcraft and Rockler stopped stoking them years ago, also few other dealers stopped in last couple of years.

[only 3 injuries]

Highland sold them until the pandemic. The reason woodcraft does not sell them is complicated.

Hopefully they can catch up enough to offer them through resellers again.

[AHill]

Selling direct to the public puts more profit in LN's hands - and no pressure to supply retailers with stock of every model of tool they sell. The biggest obstacle they have is production capacity and finding enough skilled laborers to maintain that. LN is not a large company. They don't have dedicated production lines for each type of plane in their catalog. There's a few core planes (e.g. a No. 4 and a No. 60-1/2) that they attempt to keep in stock all the time. For the less common ones (e.g. a No. 7), they accumulate a backlog, then do batch runs to fill the backlog, plus maybe a few more to satisfy future orders. This has been their system for maybe 10 years now. Their last "new" tool was their sharpening jig, which came out several years ago. In fact, they've discontinued several tools e.g. their No. 9 miter plane, No. 9-1/2 adjustable mouth block plane, and the No. 103 high angle block plane. For a short time, they incorporated the ability to see if an item was in stock on their website. They've removed that capability. They will argue that COVID and other things have slowed demand and affected their supply chain. I do think COVID has affected them, but they had these issues long before the pandemic. Those of us who've been around awhile remember going to one of their road shows and being able to actually purchase something that they had inventory right there at the show. Then it was ordering with free shipping. The road shows stopped long before the pandemic, and now you have to order from the website without knowing they are in stock until you place the order. I suppose you could find out if you called. Tom Lie-Nielsen is a stickler for quality and won't release an item for sale unless he deems it is perfect. How many years before the sharpening jig was available for purchase? Anyone remember their plow plane which was teased but never has come to market? I love their tools. I own 15 or more of them. I have stated here before I think they are operating on the thinnest of margins. They aren't very talkative about any issues they may have. They seem to be very secretive about those things. I hope they thrive and are able to offer enough inventory to encourage others to buy from them. We need companies like this to survive if we desire hand tool woodworking to become more popular.

[toolmiser]

I would rather purchase directly from them. They can keep all the profits. Their customer service is great. They seem to run a business like they actually care about their customers. I don't think that is the case with other companies.

[iclark]

I would rather purchase directly from them.  They can keep all the profits.  Their customer service is great.  They seem to run a business like they actually care about their customers.  I don't think that is the case with other companies.

I have to disagree somewhat about that last. There are some others. Lee Valley and Thompson Tools are 2 of them. There are others currently posting in the saw making threads as well.

That said, early on in my getting back into woodworking, I went to a LN roadshow in Tampa. It was a terrible experience. I had to wait for someone to leave to be allowed to enter the locked building. The show was on the 2nd floor of an old cigar factory. When I told the people running the show about the locked building door, it was apparently my first strike in being treated as a potential customer or woodworker. Once I got in, there were 3 or 4 people staffing the show. There was one woman attendee getting hands-on lessons and demos for the bench planes. There was one guy staffing the counter when he was not assisting the guy who was helping the woman. The third guy was just sorta hanging out. In hindsight, I think he was there to help pack up at the end of the day. I was allowed to wander around and look at whatever I wanted to without discussion (but under observation to make sure that I did not try to pocket anything). There was a small table set up with sharpening equipment. I found a file there that I asked about buying/ordering. The guy behind the counter informed me that that was just part of the setup and that they did not sell it. I wound up buying a LN calendar and leaving to catch up with the family at Ikea. I found out quite a while later that LN did, indeed, sell that file at the time. I never knew if the guys staffing that roadshow were that clueless or if they were too snobby to want to sell to someone like me.

After that, I quit looking at LN stuff and have very much appreciated shopping and buying from LV. When I have visited LV booths at shows, their folks have always been happy to help and, more importantly, help me understand which of their products would meet my needs.

I do wish LN well and I hope that they get through these rough times well, but I doubt that I will ever buy anything from them that I can get anywhere else.

[Mike Brady]

"I have to disagree somewhat about that last. There are some others. Lee Valley and Thompson Tools are 2 of them. There are others currently posting in the saw making threads as well."

I'm sorry that you had a bad experience at an LN local showing.  Having been to many of them myself, I can agree that they often were very crowded; but, there was much to be learned from watching their demos and handling the tools.  I never experienced a situation where they limited the number of people allowed inside.  This must have been related to the small size of that venue.

Sales of tools to take home with you from the demos was discontinued years ago.  There were some sales taxes complications with that, if I remember correctly.

LN used to hire a few locals to help at their shows.  A regular in Chicago was Blaine, who often posted here.  Those folks obviously were not able to speak about things with quite the authority that a company employee could offer.  I always felt kind of bad for the LN folks who did this every weekend and then had to work or travel to the next destination; coupled with the setup and tear-down prior and after the show.

Sadly, Covid put an end to the road shows, but their effectivness in bringing the word and the products to the consumer is hard is hard to deny.

[CStan]

If there's any doubt about Lie-Nielsen tools, here is a custom furniture shop that uses a lot of L-N tools in their work:

https://www.youtube.com/c/Doucetteandwolfefurniture

If you think you need to go to a show in order to evaluate their tools, consider this your permission to skip that exercise.

The end of the shows might actually be one good benefit of the COVID pandemic.

[Handplanesandmore]

The end of the shows might actually be one good benefit of the COVID pandemic.

Care to explain why that was a benefit at all? A benefit to the vendors or to woodworkers or to both?

Simon

[wmickley]

Care to explain why that was a benefit at all? A benefit to the vendors or to woodworkers or to both?

Simon

I have been to a dozen Lie Nielsen events. I have never in my life bought a LN tool. These events attract a number of craftsmen and other tool vendors. At these shows I have met Jim Leamy, Raney Nelson, Isaac Smith (Blackburn), Steve Voigt, Matt Bickford, Dan Schwank, Paul Peters, and more. Some events have used tool dealers where you can buy quality tools.

[CStan]

Care to explain why that was a benefit at all? A benefit to the vendors or to woodworkers or to both?

Simon

Can't imagine why they'd bother, at least for the last fifteen years or so.  The brand and reputation were mature enough not to need the shows IMO.  

If you want to know why they still did the shows, at least up until COVID, then ask them.  All I'm giving is my opinion.