Every time I get a little time to work in the shop, I’m reminded of the benefit of quality tools. Like many, I’ve victimized myself with the purchase of low quality tools from big box stores. Most often, these purchases are made with expediency in mind and the forlorn hope that this time a cheap tool will yield acceptable results. But from their purchase, to their use, to their often rapid disposal, the experience of these tools is invariably an exercise in self-flagellation. I’ve made this mistake less often in recent years, bur even today, I sometimes lapse.
One of the tools that reminds me not to is the try square pictured below. Unlike more specialized tools (in which I often wont invest much, due to their infrequent use), this one finds its way into nearly every project. I inherited it from my grandfather, from whom I inherited all my first decent tools. I didn’t get to know him very well, but in receiving a few of these objects, I feel like I came to understand some of what he had obviously learned — perhaps over decades — about quality.
The tool is a simply try-square, but this one is imbued with a quality of materials and craftsmanship that is unlike any other square — or tool — I’ve owned. I didn’t realize this fully until I learned more about its creator. More information about this particular tool and the maker behind it can be found at https://www.woodworkersjournal.com/john-economaki-designer-of-tools/.
