Woodpeckers – one of my favorite woodworking layout and accessory brands – has come out with a new carpenter square. The 6SS square is one of their one time tools, which means there’s a short preorder window after which the product might never be produced again.
The square is built with a bead-blasted stainless steel blade and red-anodized base. Each side of the blade is marked with inch and degree scales with 1/16″ and 1° gradations, and there is also a metric version.
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The square’s 90° edge is about 6″ long.
Price: $99 including a fitted case.
ETA: January 2015
Order Deadline: September 29th, 2014
COO: USA
Order Now(via Woodpeckers)
Thoughts
I own a number of Woodpeckers’ anodized aluminum squares and layout tools, and they are fantastic tools. They’re precise, very well made, and nicely finished. Since the 6SS is built with a stainless steel blade, it should be quite a bit more durable. Not that Woodpeckers’ aluminum tools aren’t durable, but most are really designed to be used in workshops and stored in drawers rather than used on-the-go and stored in tool bags.
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The 6SS carpenter is a little pricey, especially compared to inexpensive squares with stamped markings, but with Woodpeckers tools you typically get your money’s worth.
NCD
No thanks.
fred
I have a few Woodpeckers tools – and some of those they made under the Pinnacle brand (sold at Woodcraft). I find their Pinnacle mini square and bevel gauge (they were offering it again recently as a one-time tool under the Woodpecker’s brand) to be convenient and reliable aid for hand sharpening of edge tools. I also use their coping sled on my router table – and like it quite a bit. For squares – my collection of old Starrett and Brown & Sharpe combination and engineer’s squares are more than adequate for my precision needs – and my old Swanson and Stanley speed squares seem just right for my carpentry jobs.
ChrisK1970
We’ll Stuart, I want to buy into the Woodpecker line but for $99 that is pretty steep. They have two other 6″ triangle sets for around $50-60 and although I really like the fact that the ruler starts at the rail on this one coughing up a bone for this might be a little too much for me. Looks like an awesome triangle though!
Stuart
$99 is pretty steep. Woodpeckers’ stainless steel tools are always priced quite a bit higher than their aluminum ones. There’s no real way around it as long as they produce the tools themselves in the USA. I won’t be buying one because I barely even use my rough construction squares.
Fred Garvin
You have got to be kidding Stu! $99 for a carpenter square?! It’s a one time tool alright. A SHORT time.
Mike
I feel the “One Time Only” tools that I wouldn’t buy are they ones I see for sale. The cool ones that I’d actually pay for I find out about 1 day too late. Most of their tools can be found else where of equal or better quality. I do like the look!
Jon
You can sign up for their email notices if you want.
cb
Thanks Stuart for posting this, it looks nice.
I have/had a couple of there tools. Straight edge’s, rulers and squares (all alum).
In fact I have the complete Incra LS fence table saw system and router base set up. I think Incra and Woodpecker is the same outfit?
Fred is totally right, get yourself a Starrett or Brown & Sharpe. It’s not even close in accuracy and stability, I pulled out my old machinist gear and I’ve never looked back since then. My cheap Blue Empire level is straighter than my red woodpecker straight edge.
The woodpeckers stuff looks awesome in the tool chest and on the wall but then they also never leave the chest or the wall.
I must admit, the items I have from Woodpeckers are essentially wanna be machinist layout & drafting tools and better replacements are easily found and for much less (used) like Brown & Sharpe #540 but Woodpecker does have/had some nifty One time tools for wood working that I don’t have and can’t speak for them.
As Mike has stated above, the lack of availability of older issued ones and I could see them being very useful. It’s just most of the recent issues in the past year have been hard to consider compared to some there old past ones.
If you want to jump in the ring for nice sexy/gucci wood working tools. Check out Bridge City Tool Works. That’s a whole other level and longer lasting: http://www.bridgecitytools.com/default/tools/layout-tools.html
ChrisK1970
Ouch! Holy smokes!!! They look really awesome though.
mike
Looks cool but at that price ill keep my Starretts.
jesse
I’m guessing a lot of these expensive limited edition tools are snatched up by well-heeled collectors and are seldom if ever used.
jesse
Holtey planes are the classic example of this: http://www.holteyplanes.com.
fred
Plane collecting (Norris, Spiers, Old Stanley’s etc.) is a whole subset of toolmania. It used to be that bargains could be found when travelling around the country or in the UK – but I think between Antiques Roadshow and the Internet (ebay, thebestthings.com etc.) bargains have become as scarce as hen’s teeth.
Frisco
I do wood-working that has a lot of moving parts, hinges and small spaces. These items require more precision than most of your standard carpentry items. I can’t imagine where $99 lends me a better product. Perhaps, I’ve just been lucky for 20 years and never been off an 1/16th of an inch, and my angles are accurate, but $7 has served me well. I’ve nearly even jumped up to “trendy brand” products just to see if another $30 gave me more precision, but until something goes wrong, this one is just mind-boggling to me. Granted, I do test the precision of any tool I buy, but I don’t recall ever having to return a square. I guess it’s not only the soccer-moms that fall for the “if it’s expensive it MUST be better” routine.
Grady
I love the woodpecker one time tools. Unfortunately, they are not Financially feasible for me. Although they are worth the money. The ones that I’m more attracted to are those that are not in the Starrett, Brown and Sharp line. If you are into perfection, get the one timers that can not be found anywhere else, Otherwise go with the old tried and true.
Adam
I have a woodpecker router lifter, and the the fence, and it’s very good, but I just can’t see ware I would use this square, it’s nice, but I have a two swanson’s, for regular carpentry, and combination squares, it’s just to expensive.
Philip
For both 45 and 90 degree angles, I am sure it is extremely accurate. Watch the video showing marking of other angles, (time 1:45). Notice that the woodworker needs to place two marks, line up those marks, and draw the line. Those pencil marks are the weak link if you want accuracy.
It is a beautiful tool, and I would pay the price of $99, but I don’t believe that it offers anymore functionality than the squares that I already own.
terrence squier
This is a verry nice capenter square.