It's What's Between You and the Wood - Quality from Your Hand to Heirloom
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Greetings!
At last! Our county is paving our road – and as I write this. The noise is deafening, and we are house- and office bound for the day. But, the process of adding cement to the existing pavement that’s being ground up at one end of a moving machine and dumped back onto the road at the other is so much fun to watch. We and our neighbors have formed a cheering squad (advisory group), ear plugs and all.
What woodworkers do is so much more discreet and finer in every detail, shaving and shaping, sculpting, so much by touch. Luthiers have the added dimension and sense of sound. Differing woods producing differing resonances and pitch. Working wood is close to magic, and I for one am thrilled to make tools that are part of this experience.
In this issue you will find an interview with archtop guitar genius Bob Benedetto. Bob retired in 2015. At least that’s what he tells people. We know different because Hock Tools makes blades for Bob’s very personally designed and beautiful palm planes. I so enjoyed reading what Bob has to say about his tools and his advice to the newer generation of luthiers, and I hope you will, too.
Of course, if there’s anything you need from Hock Tools, please let me know.
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Ron Hock
Hock Tools
(888) 282-5233
(707) 964-2782
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World Class Archtop Guitar Bob Benedetto Says He Retired.
We Know Different!
He's Making Signature Palm Planes and Selling them by the Dozens!
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I only recently learned that we make blades for Bob Benedetto’s palm planes. In truth, I don’t know much about Jazz Guitar or much about making guitars. When I took my first pass at Bob’s website, I admit to being glamorized.
Once you look at photos of Bob’s wooden palm planes, you know you are in the hands of a true professional. Each part of the plane’s design has been thought out and comes from years of experience holding and using tools designed to perform the way he likes them to.
I wondered first about how a woodworking hand tool becomes more and more an extension of the hand. How a person develops a "way," a feel for using a tool to get a certain result, an amorphous thought but enough to ask Bob if he would agree to an e-interview.
During our emails, I got to e-meet Cindy Benedetto (whom you will get to know a bit in the interview, too). It’s just one of those things; you know sisterhood when you see it! I’ve heard many a woodworker, and Ron, say, “Thank God for working wives!” Wives like we are typically of a certain generation, and mostly, we know a good and worthy thing when we live with it. Cindy and I have a lot in common with our jobs at Benedetto Guitars and Hock Tools. And - just sayin’ - it’s probably a good idea not to get us laughing while in the same room.
What a thorough delight this little adventure has been for me! I hope you find Bob’s answers to my few questions as down-to-earth and charming as I do.
-- Linda at Hock Tools
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You Say Violin Knife, We Say Fine with Us
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Above left: One of Derek Dhillon's knives made with a Hock Tools marking knife blade. "
The knife in the picture has a custom-made maple burled handle, the blade was modified a bit, i trimmed the tang to fit in a shorter knife handle and polished it after stropping. this is my everyday user and i love it! the steel is the best i have ever come across and holds a scary sharp edge forever. the steel and products your company/family produces are nothing but top shelf, I purchase all my blades, knives, plane irons from Hock and have never been disappointed."
For over a decade, Derek Dhillon has been making his own knives for layout on dovetails, mortises and tenons, fine detailed marking and carving work. And, even though Derek’s busy managing
Buildcraft Studios
, a glass, metal and woodworking shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, he takes
custom orders
for his violin, carving and marking knives.
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Violin knife recently made by
Derek Dhillon
for a friend who builds guitars. The handle is made of
bacote and highly figured walnut, the blade is a Hock Tools 1/4-inch violin knife blade.
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Above right: One of Brendan Wynne's violin knives made with a Hock Tools violin knife blade.
"I am an amateur banjo and furniture maker and I primarily use my violin knife to clean up hand cut dovetails and pins. The thinness of the blade makes it perfect for slicing wood fibers in the tight corners of hand cut joinery. I made the handle out of the piece of firewood shown in my picture. The wood is apple from a nearby orchard. To make the handle I cut, flattened, and squared two pieces of the apple wood from the log and then glued those two pieces together with paper from a paper bag between them. I then turned the handle on my lathe. Once I had the shape I liked, I split the handle in half at the paper seam and then inlayed the violin knife into one half of the handle and then re-glued the two halves back together. Not a bad Sunday project - from firewood to a tool handle for this Hock violin knife
.
"
You may want to visit Brendan Wynne on
Instagram
for banjo making, wood turning, other projects and a lot of fun!
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Brendan Wynne's completed violin knife with apple wood handle and Hock Tools 1/4-inch violin knife blade.
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and Carving
, scroll down for more specifics and prices.
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Three knives, top left:
Our three violin knives were suggested to us by the late master violin-maker, Hans Weisshaar. They're beveled on both sides or right-hand or left-hand only and handy for all kinds of shop-knife work -- scribing, carving and whittling. They are sold without handles, as blades only, and come in our customary high carbon steel.
Two knives, bottom left:
Our right-or-left-hand spear point Marking Knife blades are beveled on one side only and perfect for scribing fine lines against a straight edge, as well as use in luthiery. The small one is especially good as a dove-tail chisel. Like the violin knives above, our marking knives are sold without handles, blades only, and come in our customary high carbon steel.
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Correction:
Please note that the photo in
Sharp & to the Point's Retail #5-2019
edition included the wrong date in the caption below Highland Woodworking in Atlanta, GA. It should have read, "
Since 1978. Highland Woodworking, 1045 N. Highland Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA . When using your GPS, remember to include the NE (northeast) or you’ll find yourself going the wrong way!"
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Previous Edition of
Sharp & to the Point; A Shameless Shill for Hock Tools
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T h a n k Y o u
f o r
C h o o s i n g
H o c k T o o l s !
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3 7 Y e a r s
o f
E x c e l l e n c e
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L e t 's G e t S o c i a l
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Ron Hock is Past-President
& now Treasurer of
Continuing the Legacy
of James Krenov
with Awards & Scholarships for Woodworkers.
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