It’s a good thing my wife doesn’t read my blog because what I’m about to tell you would probably force me into sleeping on the couch for a week.
I’ve always wanted a tattoo. I don’t know why. It must be the redneck in me.
Today I got the next best thing to a tattoo. I received my beloved Type 11 Stanley No. 5 plane in the mail after letting engraver Catharine Kennedy have her way with it. I asked her if she could engrave the shape of the English layout square that is the motif in my upcoming book “The Anarchist’s Tool Chest” on the sidewalls of the plane.
You know, something simple.
But like tattoos, things got out of hand quickly. After Kennedy sent me some sketches I went for the full-blown scrolls on both sidewalls that you can see here.
The work is simply stunning. I am a decent photographer, but I just cannot do justice to her work. The level of detail on the scrolls – each one is beveled on the inside like it was done with a V-tool – is intoxicating. And unlike the “engraving” you see on trophies or anniversary plates, this engraving is deep and obviously done by hand.
The engraving job cost me $350, and now that I’ve blogged about it I can write it off in 2010. Yes, I know you hate me for that. I hate me, too.
You are going to be seeing a lot of this tool on this blog and my blog at work so I hope you like it as much as I do.
To see more of Kennedy’s work, view her impressive woodworking resume and to discuss an engraving job with her, visit her web site at catharinekennedy.com.
— Christopher Schwarz
