| | 12/07/2008 |  At Woodworking in America Slav (full name "Slav" Jelesijevich) had the most interesting booth - piles of NOS (new old stock) of all sorts of tools - mostly files but lots of everything. We bought some real cool files for our workshop. It's hard to resist. Vendors are human - while the attendees were in classes all the vendor wandered around, chatted and fingered each others offerings. Except at Slav's booth where we and lots of the other vendors did a little shopping. Slav's files are shapes that just have vanished from current manufacture but are still handy for people doing traditional type work and there was something for every toolmaker at the show. The picture above shows some of the files we got. Really beautiful profiles that aren't made today in these big sizes. We actually traded - he wanted a Gramercy Dovetail Saw and we wanted the files. The important point here is that while we are in the middle of a hand tool renaissance there are a lot of old tools that you can find on the old tool market at a lot less money. And in the case of files and rasps Slav's got stuff that simply isn't available anywhere else.
Slav's been a friend of mine since the '80s when we both studied with Maurice Fraser. Back then he sold a lot of tools to other students and I got a fair amount of stuff from him at the time. Including BTW a 22 1/2" Norris jointer plane. Then he moved back to his home town - Chicago and we didn't see much of each other for awhile. Flash forward a bunch of years and Slav has made a specialty of dealing in New Old Stock of tools (NOS) especially files.
Slav doesn't have a formal website. You can get hold of him at 312-455-0430 and let him know what you need. Or drop him an email at slavstoolshop@aol.com (I think I usually just call him)
He is in Chicago address: 2023 W. Carroll, Chicago, IL 60612.
| Add a Comment | |
| The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the blog's author and guests and in no way reflect the views of Tools for Working Wood. |
|
Joel's Blog
Built-It Blog
Video Roundup
Classes & Events
Work Magazine