The 1950 milling machine at Hock Tool
Before I became a licensed electrician working in solar PV, I made my living as a carpenter. One of the joys of the trade is assembling a set of tools, especially hand tools. I also did some woodworking and cabinetmaking, so I had collected many tools for the woodbutcher’s trades. Many of the tools were also legacy tools, hand tools from previous eras when hand craftsmanship was more valued. For example, I had a pretty full set of old Stanley hand planes, and a full set of old handsaws (that I seldom used).
One of my favorite toolbox tools was a Stanley block plane. This had been my dad’s tool, one of few good tools I inherited – my dad was an accountant, not a woodworker – so it held a special place in my toolbox. I had polished the base, smoothed the action, and even installed a Hock blade, one of (if not the) best aftermarket blades (the correct term would be iron) available.
A little over two years ago I burned down the old trailer that had served as my workshop, waste vegetable oil motor fuel facility, and storage room. The block plane went through the fire; although I salvaged the burned tool and will some day look for parts and try to restore it, it was in bad shape. When I replaced the tool, I also ordered a Hock blade for it.
When I was first meeting Larry, Meri Meskis’ partner, he told me he worked as a machinist, and specifically as a maker of tools for woodworkers. When I asked, he told me that he worked for Hock Tool, had been there 31 years, and liked his work, although he also said that he was getting a bit tired of it, and could retire. When I told him of my old (circa 1985) and new Hock blades, Larry determined that he had almost certainly made both them himself.
Larry has been making fine blades since 1983.
Pt turns out that Larry is pretty much the manufacturing division of Hock Tool. He cuts, shapes, grinds, and polishes a whole range of specialty blades. All of the blades come off of one bandsaw, one analog milling machine, and one belt grinder, with jigs he has made. Larry generally works alone in the shop, and he doesn’t have an apprentice. I found him to be a gentle and humble man with finely developed skill.
Larry at the belt grinder
Hock Tool blades (www.hocktool.com) are considered among the finest made. They’re used in Sauer and Steiner (www.sauerandsteiner.com) custom planes. Larry impressed me as quite modest about his skill and experience. And I felt much more attached to my old and new block plane blades.
A drawer of some of the less common blades.