My background was science and university scientific research, but with a flat in Bristol, then house, then this building I did a lot of DIY. This building was inexpensive as were many back in the 1980s, it was derelict, it needed major work and I learned a lot doing most of the work myself.
Here I started briefly doing general building work, moved on to custom woodwork, then mixing the woodwork with a few tool sales to have something in the shop. Eventually accepted that my workshop space just wasn’t large enough to take on well paid woodworking jobs so moved to concentrate on the sales of older tools.
Philosophically I’ve always disliked waste which has carried over to my and now staffs attitude about tools. We all learn about both use and quality of the tools. This can lead to the need for refurbishing, repairing and mending items. Most of our customers are buying tools for use, if the tool doesn’t do the job intended its wrong. It may just need sharpening, or setting up correctly, or it may be a different tools would do the job much easier. These are all things we try and help with in the shop.