If you were young, and just starting to hit your stride

[j. condino]

I built my first functional guitar at age 13, So I guess I can fully understand the "if you were young" aspect....

As for the gifts suggestions:

- I own the nickel steel veritas NX60 fancy sports car looking plane- it is easily the number one tool I reach for since it arrived about four years ago; awesome hand plane and worth every penny.

-My first suggestion would be just slightly off from Frank's. I would go with the Lie Nielson #103 - the slightly higher angle plane BUT make sure to get the toothed blade. That is a game changer.

-Depending upon the individual, a Hacklinger gauge will either change everything about how they build and analyze instruments, or it may wind up never being taken out of the box or used.......

-the first tool I suggest to all of my students is an old Stanley or Bailey #101 plane, circa 1930, before the sweetheart series. One of the most underrated small planes ever made and they go for about $15-20 on eBay in excellent condition.

- if your friend likes mandolins, order a set of tuning machines for him from Nicolo Alessi- tell Nicolo you want the basic Condino model (order a set for yourself too!).

-If your friend does any repair work or refrets, especially with guitars, the Stew Mac "jaws" fret tool is pretty nice to have around the shop.

If you really want to make a homerun gift, see if Dale will part with his Yates snowflake bandsaw! Don't even ask about mine- somehow they're going to bury me with my 30"!

There is an obvious list of things that are inappropriate for this forum that will make a young fellow pretty happy.......

J.
Www.condino.com

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[Petrus]

I'd certainly like a plane. A chrome P51 would be cool. I'd learn how to fly it.

[j. condino]

'Pretty sure that is polished aluminum, not chrome. A (likely) heavier chromed metal would be a significant weight difference for a plane. My grandfather was a P51 test pilot. The stories I heard were that he would do a complete tear down and blueprint the engine....and then take it out and push it so hard he would blow the engine and then limp it back home to tear them apart again and see what went failed!

J.
Www.condino.com