Source of Steel/Aly straight edges

Howdy all,
Industrial supply here in Australia is a tad limited and overpriced to put it mildly. Every time I visit the USA or find a source over there it never ceases to amaze me how much amazing stuff you guys have over there and at low prices compared to here. In this vein a friend of mine recently loaned me a Kromhard Drill Co catalogue, from this I discovered Suburban Tool Inc and their impressive product range.
STEEL STRAIGHT EDGES by Suburban Tool, Inc.
I'm looking for reasonably priced but good quality workshop straight edges to buy and resell in the woodworking market here in Australia, non bevelled. A 12" or 18", 24" & 36" would suffice for more guys wanting to check hand planes and jointer tables. 5 tenths per foot is sufficient for the fussiest of woodworkers I should think!

Before I approach Suburban I'm wondering if anyone out there can recommend another source for a high quality alternative? I'm not the least bit interested in entertaining the cheaper 'Asian' or other suppliers.

Ebay has some
Similar accuracy lower price

About 25 years ago, I bought a straightedge from Bridge City Tool Works, and it is an excellent tool for woodworking. I now live 2000 miles closer to the city where these are made, and they still make the SE-24 24" straight edge (periodically... they are gearing up for another production run now).

However ... BCTW makes fancy tools. They work well, but they are aimed at the tool-lover, and some are intended for out-and-out collectors, and most of them are priced accordingly.

Thanks guys, I'll look into the ebay thing.

Interesting a company like BCTW can't hold stock of a simple straight edge. I mean.... Really?
And I'm certain they are made offshore anyway.

However ... BCTW makes fancy tools. They work well, but they are aimed at the tool-lover, and some are intended for out-and-out collectors, and most of them are priced accordingly.

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Have you checked out Vesper Tools (the OP) site yet for comparison?

VesperTools said:

Interesting a company like BCTW can't hold stock of a simple straight edge. I mean.... Really?
And I'm certain they are made offshore anyway.

Click to expand...

Yeah, really. They take preorders for each production run. Very small company, and a niche market. Limited production runs aren't terribly unusual, but BCTW are more up-front about the process than most small makers. Some tools they only run every two years.

And no, all their tools are made in the USA. At one point, all their tools were made right in town here. They still use local/regional suppliers. Case in point, about six months ago one of their tools changed to black zinc (from black chrome) over nickel plate, because the local plater could not longer do the black chrome process due to environmental restrictions.

stephen thomas said:

Have you checked out Vesper Tools (the OP) site yet for comparison?

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Not until you suggested it.

sfriedberg said:

Yeah, really. They take preorders for each production run. Very small company, and a niche market. Limited production runs aren't terribly unusual, but BCTW are more up-front about the process than most small makers. Some tools they only run every two years.

And no, all their tools are made in the USA. At one point, all their tools were made right in town here. They still use local/regional suppliers. Case in point, about six months ago one of their tools changed to black zinc (from black chrome) over nickel plate, because the local plater could not longer do the black chrome process due to environmental restrictions.

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Yeah check out that Vesper Tools guy... Speaking of small niche business! What would I know anyway? I'm from Australia and its all upside down here anyway...
I work alone and do my best to hold stock of all tools which I usually manage to do so. Though sometimes I run out but I don't wait for a set number of pre orders before I make more.
Years and years ago I received a promotional email from an Indian company wanting to sell me tool parts, rulers, blades and more. And in their spiel they mentioned that they do very high class work for BCTW... Now for the life of me I cannot find this email any longer. But I've never forgotten. And it may be that they get the stainless steel rulers made offshore and do the rest inhouse, I can understand the accounting reasons for this. But I clearly state that I personally make everything with a Vesper logo on it in house. If anyone wants to come visit and drive a surface grinder for a day they'd be welcome!
Maybe BCTW have now onshored again as is the current trend. PEC and Empire I believe make good quality photo etched rules so why wouldn't somebody use them for a supplier?

Anyway I digress. I'm still happy to hear of any other ideas on straightedge suppliers. Cheers guys.

So with that Jaobsen, why don't you order hardened blanks somewhere, put, oh 8pcs/inch x 14"wide ~=100 across the magnet and let it run?

I have a couple surface grinders including a 12" x 30", so am aware of the process and issues. But if you are pointed about doing in house, the tools are (seem to be) there if you refine the process.

Another thought, since you say they are for guys to check their handplanes, why not have 2' long cast straight edge parallels made and you grind in house. Put a dovetail on one or 2 edges, and there is a fair market in Oz for fitters/scraper's straight edges. Machine (plane) the ones for the metal guys, though, as they will want to finish scrape them themselves. I've had guys from your country contact me about bulk purchase, though it did not work out and my patterns have since been stolen.

Or get a stone saw and cut up asian surface plates into 3 x 24" chunks.....

smt

stephen thomas said:

So with that Jaobsen, why don't you order hardened blanks somewhere, put, oh 8pcs/inch x 14"wide ~=100 across the magnet and let it run?

smt

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Interesting info on the market for machine fitting straight edges SMT. I didn't know there was a shortage here...
But the problem I'm trying to here by buying them in finished is avoiding creating more work for this one little woolmaker who is already overworked and doing everything inhouse. This is a work/life balance problem and something needs to change.
Do you have a thread somewhere talking about these machine fitting edges with dovetail? I know the type you mean. Camel back, flat face with a 60deg down one side.

Do you have a thread somewhere talking about these machine fitting edges with dovetail? I know the type you mean. Camel back, flat face with a 60deg down one side.

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Start here. You can probably rule out the least likely titles. Goes on for several pages.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/search.php?searchid=5421815&pp=

My suggestion, and whenever I get around to doing it again, would be that the most saleable item would probably be a parallel (not camelback) fitter's straight edge(s) in sizes from 12" through 24" long with the 18" size being a good compromise for scraping small to medium parts, yet not too heavy and not too expensive.

smt