I’m a professional cabinetmaker working in Seattle, Washington, USA. Most of my work is done using the power tools that are standard in the industry today, from jointer and planer to CNC router and widebelt sander.

     My hobby is tinkering with planes, in particular British infill planes. I’ve bought a number of these, most in reasonable user condition and a few real fixer-uppers. The one thing needed to bring these planes up to a higher level of performance is a thicker blade to close up the mouth. Finding a suitable old laminated blade was so difficult that I started testing different alloys of steel to find one that would allow me to make premium blades myself.

     If you’ve looked through my site I’m sure you’ve noticed that I take an approach that resembles applied science or engineering. I find that much received wisdom is excellent, distilling the experience of untold generations of dedicated workers, and some of it is bunk. I have trouble telling the difference and don’t have much taste for arguing, so I’ve decided to look for ways to test and find out what works best for me.

     In my youth I was told to “take it on faith” regarding important issues that didn’t seem to make sense to me. Instead I’ve adopted the philosophy of a medieval scholar who wrote that doubting is the beginning of wisdom because it leads us to question, and questioning leads us to the truth. I’m pursuing very small truths these days, but try to let the evidence be my guide.

--Steve Elliott