Don't miss this, the last Year of Darley's Barn!
Here's some of what you'll experience:
I arrived too late to do my Mark van Roojen impersonation. I wish I'd been there at the start,
because the number of dealers virtually guaranteed some great tools and great deals.
The
photo of the trading field doesn't show the third isle of dealers off to
the right of this picture's border. Surrounded by corn, I felt like I was
back home. I hadn't anticipated buying anything, so I was able to spend
some time talking to the dealers. You know how it is usually; you're almost
jogging through the field trying to see everything before somebody else
buys it!Columbian #204 1/2 rotating bench vise that I almost left at the show. (Not much sleep this weekend.)
Halfway through the auction, Jan
gave away the Stanley #605 door prize as well as two coupons for use in
the field to purchase tools. This kept a majority of us at the Meet
until
it was time to enjoy the delicious lunch provided by the good folks at
Darley's Barn.
We
discussed the format of the meet during the Fried Chicken lunch. I said
before that we usually leave a meet after pillaging the dealers and talking
to the Galoots. Actually, that's not always the case, but Chris and Jan's
format was very successful in keeping everybody at the meet. More time
to talk
to everyone, time for that last pass through the dealer's tables and time
for a Galoot photo. 
At the auction I managed to win a set of four mint Greenlee socket firmer chisels, a boxwood handled Marples lock mortice chisel, a Stanley No. 81 scraper and the best lot of the auction, a bowl of amazing spalted maple expertly turned by our own Chris Berger.
We
had already lost Ralph, Joe, Steve Jones, Tod Herrli and probably a few
more guys, but we managed to squeeze off this Galoot photo for the day.
That's Bret Rochette, me in the back, Dave Strommen, Chris Berger,(he helped Jan organize the event)
Jim Crammond and Greg Jones.
In
addition to the auction, Jan had arranged for
a few tool displays as well. Three of these were: Chris Berger's Israel
White Plow Plane and ownership research. The plane and the sharpening stone
were owned by the same gentleman.
Chris researched the owner and his display tells a great story behind a
beautiful tool.
Click here for more.
Tod
Herrli's display of Specialized Plow Planes manufactured in Indiana.
The
planes on the left are a rail and stile plane with it's coping plane
in the background.
Tod makes planes for customers and teaches great
wooden plane making classes too.
John
Sindelar brought an outrageous selection from his plow plane collection.
Yes, they're all ivory tipped.
The display was entitled "A Few Ivory Plows, Ohio and Kentucky,
New and Used." Pretty cool. Below are a couple of new plows excuisitely
made by Jim Leamy. If you think they're beautiful, you owe it to yourself
to check out
Jim Leamy's website:
All in all, it was a great meet, the format of which I'm certain will
be used to set up others in different areas of the M-WTCA. Next year's
Darley's Barn meet will be a "must attend" for me.
(Note: This was originally written in 2002. Sadly, through no fault of the M-WTCA or the events awesome organizers, there will be no more meets at this wonderful location. But we all owe Chris Berger, Jan Cover and everyone else who helped them a huge THANK YOU for all these great years of meets at Darley's Barn. )
Support the M-WTCA. It's the best $25 you'll spend all year.
Cheers!