Call me cynical, suspicious, whatever....

[Dan]

I wish I had left this thread alone after my first post. But in post #2 I had added fuel to the fire which makes me just another one of the dickheads (or at least feeling like one).

Sorry Robert.

[markharrison]

Neil/Robert,

There is an upside to this getting an airing. I too had one eyebrow arching northwards reading the review as I recognised the author as the extremely helpful gentleman I talked to at the show on the Lie-Nielsen stand.

So perhaps airing this openly has actually had a positive effect on the reputation of AWR, Robert and Lie-Nielsen. Unless this had been challenged I would have gone on thinking that something indeed was not as it should have been, to be polite.

Whether an apology is due to one party or another I think is irrelevant. There seems to have been errors of judgement on both sides, from where I stand.

Having been the victim of a professional slander (it's a long story) I know it hurts. My advice is that if either party still feels aggrieved then seek a meeting and sort it out as soon as practicable. Don't let it stew.

One other piece of advice for Robert and AWR would be to run a clarification in the next edition's editorial. Be completely candid and the hearts and minds will follow.

Kind regards,

Mark

[johnc]

Robert,

Like the other I also apologise, it's a timely reminder that sometimes we are too quick to accept what's before us without question. That's not good enough when the effect is to damage someones reputation.

I also think you are being a little hard on yourself about being on the LN stand, on balance its just one of those things that looks fine at the time but different in hindsight. Why do we always 20/20 vision looking backwards?

JohnC

[BobR]

I have just returned from being away for the long weekend and this thread has changed its colour during that time. As the person who started the thread I have to clarify that it was Robert's presence on the Lie-Nielsen's stand at the show, following the recent publication of the comparison of jack planes, that caught my attention. It should be noted that in my original entry that I did not challenge Robert's findings. I indicated that Lie-Nielsen most probably deserved the rating they received. However, as I also mentioned, as an observer at the Lie-Nielsen stand listening to Robert's comments on a Veritas plane, no matter how honest Robert believed his comments to be, it was not possible for me to then accept those comments in that light. Robert, this was not meant to be a direct attack on you, but on how one can accept the results of such an article when the author then appears to be representing the "winning" manufacturer. Please accept my thread in that light.

[ian]

Bob
I've reread your original post and reread the magazine article you refered to.

I really think you need to clarify what you meant by the potentially emotive phrase "bad mouthing" ?
was it just a restating of the author's opinion as presented in the article?

IMO the author is entitled to restate any of his opinions that have already appeared in print.
I also don't like the look of the Veritas Jack plane, BUT I do like the look and feel of the Veritas low angle smoother — I got to try a Veritas LA smoother at the wood show and am now seriously considering swapping my LN LA smoother for a Veritas.

Ian

[BobR]

Ian, I believe that the thread has run its course and I don't see any value in flogging a dead horse. So as not to appear to be avoiding your question I can only say that what I heard said would not have been printed in the article. Shame though, as it was more colourfull.

[Ausworkshop]

I read the reviews & read the start of this thread, I'm just glad I kept reading to find out the full story, I wonder how many people left this thread after reading the first few posts?

Oh well, all I know is I think i'll stick with the Japanese dovetails saws.
Us Westoners have only just learned the benefits of a saw cutting backwards.
Der!?
The Japanese have known this secret for years. I'll stick with the superior Japanese Dovetail saws when it comes to quality of steel.

Hasn't anyone seen Kill Bill??