[A. G. Maisey]

Sounds as if we think alike Spiral.

Talking about tools, all my father's hand saws are Disston, bought in the 1920's most of them, maybe one or two in the 1930's. These saws can be set and sharpened, and my understanding is that when they were purchased they cost one hell of a lot of money. If I look at prices on the online auction sites for these old saws, and saw sets and clamps, they still cost a lot of money. But I can buy a brand new Sandvik saw for $8, it works OK, cuts OK, but only for a very short time, then you throw it away and buy a new one, my experience is that these things simply will not sharpen or set.

In respect of kitchen stuff, cutlery, china & etc. I'm not a total barbarian. The Royal Doulton family dinner set, and my grandmother's special order Wedgewood tea set are only dragged out for the visitors. My great grandfather's Staffordshire cheese dish has never been used as long as I've had it --- +50 years now --- because we no longer buy full 12" cheese rounds, we buy a couple of hundred grams in the supermarket as we need it.

I guess you could say I use things that are meant to be used, and/or can be repaired, and try to conserve things that can be damaged or destroyed by over use.

Another modern product that just does not work is the typical hardware store axe. I need to use an axe a fair bit, big block of land, lots of mature trees. The one I use most is a 5 pound Plumb that has been ground to competition geometry and has a competition handle in it. I can cut hardwood all day with this and a brief touch up with a stone brings it back to a shaving edge.

All the other axes I use have similar quality heads, but they have not been given a competition grind. Compare this with the garbage that you can buy in the local hardware store now:- plastic handles, a grind that you can't cut butter with and that is impossible to put a lasting edge on.

Plumb, Keysteel, Kelly, never see these axes anymore.Even the old generic 4 1/2 pound Hytest that used to be everywhere and in fact if properly ground and sharpened was a pretty good axe has disappeared and in its place we find Chinese garbage.

Old tools? Use them, don't put them in a glass case and look at them.

Re my pig bayonet:- not double edge, stamped "3 22 Lithgow" on the ricasso. It saw service in WWII.