There’s a Congresswoman out in Washington named Marie Gluesenkamp Perez who has introduced legislation which would investigate the monopolistic play of SawStop that is going on here before allowing the regulation to go through.
The replies to her explanation of this on Twitter would indicate that reflexive Safetyism is now the dominant meme, and it’s a real shame that the NPCs infected with Safetyism programming would most likely be incapable of considering your arguments here, Nate.
Great piece. While the first "watershed" moment is always to solve a real, tangible issue, the second watershed becomes self-orienting--For the sake of itself. Great opportunity to highlight this.
Buy all the old tools and cars and probably even clothes that you can.
I read a story years ago about a ladder manufacturer that went out of business after being sued when a user fell from a ladder that was set up on a pile of thawing frozen horse shit by his barn. Ultimately he said the cost of all the warning labels on his ladders was a major expense of manufacturing them, and basically he had to pay someone millions of dollars because he didn't have a label warning about the viscosity of thawing horse shit in April. It's not just about labels, it's about our litigious American culture.
Huh, thanks for the heads up. I wasn't planning on getting a table saw yet but it might just have been bumped up on the priority list, lest I get stuck with an overcomplicated piece of crap from Longhouse Tool Co. Maybe I'll just stick with hand tools. Even if they go "smart" you can always use the ones you've got to make the ones you haven't.
Simple hand tools -- even those that are now powered but still maintain an otherwise simple design -- have been around for centuries and millennia for a reason!
I hit ebay, yard sales, etc. for most of my tools honestly. The older the better is the rule of thumb. Figure if it lasted 50 years it'll last me some time too. Been burned too many times by overpriced crap from Home Depot. But, sawblades are not really one of the things that holds up to long term use. So the table saw situation you brought up kinda sucks.
Stellar piece Nate! “Though this be madness, yet there’s method in 't.” as Shakespeare's Polonius might say...-You have perfectly laid out how the culture and method behind safetyism will not just drive us mad, but is erasing our personal involvement and responsibility from labor. Also love your humorous touch :)
Very well said! And, in the end, regulation ends up costing the consumer because the "licensed/regulated" contractor passes the cost of compliance to the person who can often least afford it. This essay should be required reading for every legislator being lobbied by tool manufacturers.
Indeed. A long time ago I realized that The Machine existed long before I entered this arena and the venue, rules, weapons, referees, and opponents had been put in place and selected for me even in ways I did not realize existed. The best we can do to beat it is a sucker punch when the refs aren't looking and hope to do some damage and go 12 rounds before we get disqualified on a technical or can't get back up on a 10 count.
Sent this to my husband. We have this discussion about cars and “smart” things quite often, and have purposely chosen to have older vehicles so that we (and by that I mean him 😅) can do maintenance ourselves. It’s such a slow and sneaky slide that is stripping any sense of agency and autonomy from society.
Yeah, y'all are for SURE on the right track. There's so much that could be said about smart devices, and really so many tools and machines in general, but among them: they're built to be usable but unintelligible. That unintelligibility is so frustrating and unnecessary. Better off buying old and repairing in most cases.
I have a few thoughts on this. (For context, I worked as a cabinetmaker and furniture maker for 15 years and have been a union finish carpenter for the past three):
1. I spent a few years working at a community woodshop where one of my regular duties was teaching the intro safety course to new members. I taught them to use both tablesaws in the shop, a new Sawstop and an older (1970s) Powermatic. Most of the students had never used a tablesaw or had last used one decades ago in high school shop class. I found that they were much safer on the Sawstop. They respected both saws, but tended to tense up and do stupid things on the Powermatic while they were still cautious but more relaxed on the Sawstop.
2. I agree with the fears of monopoly. Part of the story here is that other manufacturers do make saws with brakes. They are available in Europe, but not in the US. This is because Sawstop, through a series of lawsuits has stopped them on the basis of copyright infringement. Bosch attempted a challenge several years ago arguing that their brake operated on a different principle but it was rejected. What I find concerning is not only that the government might require brakes on new saws, but that Sawstop has made it so they will be the only company who can make them.
3. I think the fear that saws will become inaccessible is overblown. There are plenty of older saws around and parts are still readily available for them. For the average hobbyist, buying an older Delta is still a much better deal than any new saw on the market. You can pick up a used saw for $50 at a flea market that will be better than a new $500 saw.
4. Lastly, I don’t share the concern that craft is becoming professionalized. I think the opposite is the case. The internet, and Youtube in particular, has made craft, if anything, too accessible. This is my personal gripe, but everyone online seems to be making ugly furniture that has no reference to design history. I think what is needed is more education on aesthetics, design history, and basic skills.
Sorry for the long rant. I did enjoy your post and found it very thought-provoking.
The watersheds Illych describes could be easily applied to architecture, though I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of architecture as a tool. It fits, but only partially. A house or a building is more than a tool, but not less.
Clearly you don't use table saws. I own a Sawstop and it is a very well crafted piece of equipment that is capable of very fine cutting. And it is significantly safer than other saws. You are mistaken to believe a typical user would take stupid risks simply because they have a safe saw; no one I have ever met wants to try the wiener test with their own hands, they just want the safety. Why? Because there are many people with nasty scars, severed tendons, missing fingers. This just doesn't happen with keyboards.
There’s a Congresswoman out in Washington named Marie Gluesenkamp Perez who has introduced legislation which would investigate the monopolistic play of SawStop that is going on here before allowing the regulation to go through.
The replies to her explanation of this on Twitter would indicate that reflexive Safetyism is now the dominant meme, and it’s a real shame that the NPCs infected with Safetyism programming would most likely be incapable of considering your arguments here, Nate.
I think I may have seen the video you’re talking about.
And, as much as I’d love for us both to be wrong, I think you’re right.
Great piece. While the first "watershed" moment is always to solve a real, tangible issue, the second watershed becomes self-orienting--For the sake of itself. Great opportunity to highlight this.
Buy all the old tools and cars and probably even clothes that you can.
Yes! This is, to place undue stress on a geriatric meme, the way.
There’s money to be made selling ‘front’ and ‘back’ stickers for all of those old tools, cars, and pieces of clothing you mentioned.
Wouldn't a safety sticker saying something like, "Don't put yo fingers near the blade, they could get cut off," work for a cheaper price?
I read a story years ago about a ladder manufacturer that went out of business after being sued when a user fell from a ladder that was set up on a pile of thawing frozen horse shit by his barn. Ultimately he said the cost of all the warning labels on his ladders was a major expense of manufacturing them, and basically he had to pay someone millions of dollars because he didn't have a label warning about the viscosity of thawing horse shit in April. It's not just about labels, it's about our litigious American culture.
One would think so! But Steve is right on the money. Litigiousness wins the day.
Huh, thanks for the heads up. I wasn't planning on getting a table saw yet but it might just have been bumped up on the priority list, lest I get stuck with an overcomplicated piece of crap from Longhouse Tool Co. Maybe I'll just stick with hand tools. Even if they go "smart" you can always use the ones you've got to make the ones you haven't.
Simple hand tools -- even those that are now powered but still maintain an otherwise simple design -- have been around for centuries and millennia for a reason!
I hit ebay, yard sales, etc. for most of my tools honestly. The older the better is the rule of thumb. Figure if it lasted 50 years it'll last me some time too. Been burned too many times by overpriced crap from Home Depot. But, sawblades are not really one of the things that holds up to long term use. So the table saw situation you brought up kinda sucks.
Superb, Nate.
Thank you so much, Dixie.
Stellar piece Nate! “Though this be madness, yet there’s method in 't.” as Shakespeare's Polonius might say...-You have perfectly laid out how the culture and method behind safetyism will not just drive us mad, but is erasing our personal involvement and responsibility from labor. Also love your humorous touch :)
You’re very kind, Ruth! And I’m thankful that my humor is appreciated by someone other than me 😂
Very well said! And, in the end, regulation ends up costing the consumer because the "licensed/regulated" contractor passes the cost of compliance to the person who can often least afford it. This essay should be required reading for every legislator being lobbied by tool manufacturers.
Every day is a struggle thinking through these issues and realizing that I’m part of the Machine, despite my attempts to humanize it.
Indeed. A long time ago I realized that The Machine existed long before I entered this arena and the venue, rules, weapons, referees, and opponents had been put in place and selected for me even in ways I did not realize existed. The best we can do to beat it is a sucker punch when the refs aren't looking and hope to do some damage and go 12 rounds before we get disqualified on a technical or can't get back up on a 10 count.
Seems Franklin's saying about safety and liberty applies in economics as well as politics.
Sent this to my husband. We have this discussion about cars and “smart” things quite often, and have purposely chosen to have older vehicles so that we (and by that I mean him 😅) can do maintenance ourselves. It’s such a slow and sneaky slide that is stripping any sense of agency and autonomy from society.
"and by that I mean him"
Golly, you and my wife would get along 😂
Yeah, y'all are for SURE on the right track. There's so much that could be said about smart devices, and really so many tools and machines in general, but among them: they're built to be usable but unintelligible. That unintelligibility is so frustrating and unnecessary. Better off buying old and repairing in most cases.
I have a few thoughts on this. (For context, I worked as a cabinetmaker and furniture maker for 15 years and have been a union finish carpenter for the past three):
1. I spent a few years working at a community woodshop where one of my regular duties was teaching the intro safety course to new members. I taught them to use both tablesaws in the shop, a new Sawstop and an older (1970s) Powermatic. Most of the students had never used a tablesaw or had last used one decades ago in high school shop class. I found that they were much safer on the Sawstop. They respected both saws, but tended to tense up and do stupid things on the Powermatic while they were still cautious but more relaxed on the Sawstop.
2. I agree with the fears of monopoly. Part of the story here is that other manufacturers do make saws with brakes. They are available in Europe, but not in the US. This is because Sawstop, through a series of lawsuits has stopped them on the basis of copyright infringement. Bosch attempted a challenge several years ago arguing that their brake operated on a different principle but it was rejected. What I find concerning is not only that the government might require brakes on new saws, but that Sawstop has made it so they will be the only company who can make them.
3. I think the fear that saws will become inaccessible is overblown. There are plenty of older saws around and parts are still readily available for them. For the average hobbyist, buying an older Delta is still a much better deal than any new saw on the market. You can pick up a used saw for $50 at a flea market that will be better than a new $500 saw.
4. Lastly, I don’t share the concern that craft is becoming professionalized. I think the opposite is the case. The internet, and Youtube in particular, has made craft, if anything, too accessible. This is my personal gripe, but everyone online seems to be making ugly furniture that has no reference to design history. I think what is needed is more education on aesthetics, design history, and basic skills.
Sorry for the long rant. I did enjoy your post and found it very thought-provoking.
The watersheds Illych describes could be easily applied to architecture, though I’m not sure I’ve ever thought of architecture as a tool. It fits, but only partially. A house or a building is more than a tool, but not less.
Clearly you don't use table saws. I own a Sawstop and it is a very well crafted piece of equipment that is capable of very fine cutting. And it is significantly safer than other saws. You are mistaken to believe a typical user would take stupid risks simply because they have a safe saw; no one I have ever met wants to try the wiener test with their own hands, they just want the safety. Why? Because there are many people with nasty scars, severed tendons, missing fingers. This just doesn't happen with keyboards.