“What is the oldest tool you have that you never want to replace?”
Avi Hadad
An 8” Lägler Hummel. A reliable machine that is a pure work horse. Every few years, it needs a little TLC or a minor part replacement and that’s it. As someone who doesn’t have multiple crews, it’s always a plus to have a tool that turns on every time you need it. It’s been through a lot and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
Mike Osborn
I have a Stanley #12 scraper. Back in the mid-80s, my partner and I were doing a job in Long Beach, California, and became friendly with a man who lived nearby and had been walking by the jobsite all week. He asked my name and when I told him, it turned out that he used to work for my grandfather. He ended up giving me a pristine, lightly used Stanley #12 scraper. It has rosewood handles, a rosewood base on it, and it’s a spectacular tool. He said he worked for my granddad probably about six months doing handscraped floors and he decided it wasn’t for him. I would say the scraper was from maybe the mid-to-late twenties, but I couldn’t say for sure. I’ve taken it out on some jobs to help me on occasion, but it is more of a keepsake.