Kathleen Kruse: A Chip Off the Ol' Block

Kathleen Kruse was recently awarded Second Place in the Highland Woodworking Scratch Awl Turning Contest . We had not planned on awarding a Second Place prize, but due to the large number of votes Kathleen's entry received, we felt she deserved recognition.

Doug Hall spoke to Kathleen and learned that when it comes to woodworking, her careful work and her attention to detail, she owes a great deal to her dad.

Read Doug's interview with Kathleen Kruse

Ask the Staff

E-mail us at woodnews@highlandwoodworking.com with your woodworking or finishing questions. Selected questions will be answered in future issues. If your question is selected for publication, we'll send you a free Highland Hardware hat.

Question: I am making a pasta board for my nephew who is an up-and-coming chef. What do you recommend in the way of a finish? Apparently pasta boards and cutting boards should have a fairly "open grain" finish, rather than a hard surface film like a varnish or polyurethane finish.

Answer

Employee Contribution

The History of Work is a Human Story: Highland Woodworking's Antique Tools
by Chris Black

If you've ever visited our showroom in Atlanta, you've probably noticed the antique woodworking tools on display around the store. You'll see backsaws, carpenter's saws, braces, spokeshaves, gauges, drawknives, squares and of course planes of every kind. These tools are part of a larger collection started by our now retired owner, Chris Bagby. Chris acquired these wonderful tools over many years and kept them at Highland Woodworking. Occasionally we'd bring some of them out for display, but the vast majority has been kept in storage for close to 20 years. We recently rediscovered the collection in our attic during some house cleaning. Finding these tools was like uncovering buried treasure, at least to us woodworkers. We couldn't help but think of all the stories these well-worn jewels had to tell.

Read The History of Work is a Human Story

View images of Highland Woodworking's antique tools

COMING SOON!

Highland Woodworking's "Featured Fluke"!

fluke (flōōk), n. : an accidental advantage; a stroke of good luck.

This year Highland Woodworking brings you an exciting new opportunity to save on select items! Periodically at www.highlandwoodworking.com , we will offer a "Featured Fluke", a special buy on a featured item. (And be assured these are factory-fresh items. It is NOT a "scratch and dent" sale.)

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:


• The Featured Fluke will only be available online.
• There will only be a limited quantity available at the special price.
• Once that quantity has sold out, that item will no longer be available at the special price.
• No rainchecks or backorders.
• Each new Featured Fluke will be posted on a weekday (Monday-Friday) chosen at random.
• You can find the Fluke by clicking on the "Featured Fluke" icon (shown below) on the home page of our website.

So that's it! Just like the spontaneous "Blue Light Specials" we all used to enjoy at K-Mart, or the unexpected "Unadvertised Specials" we sometimes find with when we visit a store, we'll periodically surprise you with special savings with our Featured Fluke! It will be posted at 10 AM Eastern Time on a weekday, so if it's not up at that time, please check back another day.

Of course, we will continue to offer you the same great quality, selection and prices you've come to expect from us, as well as the special promotions we periodically offer!

New Year's Greetings from Our Owner

Dear Woodworker,

As we approach our 30th year serving woodworkers, we at Highland Woodworking would like to thank you for your incredible support.

Years ago, the people who work here created a Vision Statement for our enterprise:

"Highland Woodworking is a Learning Community that fosters the Joy of Craftsmanship and a Passion for Excellence."

Whether it is seeking advice from the many woodworking experts on our staff, taking part in our workshops and seminars, or just browsing the huge resource of useful information contained in our excellent catalog, website and store, your participation and enthusiasm is what has made the work meaningful and worthwhile for us.

We welcome your presence in our Learning Community, and we especially welcome your visits, be they by phone, mail, the Internet or in person.

Best wishes for the coming year.

Sincerely,

Chris Bagby, Owner & Founder
Highland Woodworking, Inc.

NEW!

E.T. Roberts & Lee Handsaws!

For years we've searched for professional quality, western-style carpenter's saws. You know, the kind Disston, Stanley and Sandvik used to make. All we wanted were well-shaped wooden handles, brass buttons, taper ground blades, a choice of rip or crosscut teeth and decent steel; too much to ask apparently.

Well, guess what we found in the U.K.? E.T. Roberts & Lee has been manufacturing really first-rate handsaws in England since 1908. Their Dorchester series is their premium line. Not only do they make carpenter's saws, but wonderful joinery saws as well. All E.T. Roberts & Lee Dorchester saws come with American black walnut handles, solid brass hardware, high-grade steel blades and plastic tooth protectors.

See Highland Woodworking's Selection of Roberts & Lee Saws

Giveaway Winner to be Announced Soon!

The winner of the Highland Woodworking New Kind of Power Tool Giveaway will be announced within the next couple of weeks. Visit www.highlandwoodworking.com on or about January 29, 2007 to see who the lucky winner is!