Sometimes the old stuff is just better. That’s what Henry Caldwell said when describing his antique tool collection, which was on display Sunday during the 24th annual edition of the Northeastern Woodworkers Association’s Fine Woodworking Show in the Saratoga Springs City Center.
“Sometimes the older tools are just better — they have a better feel,” said Caldwell, owner of Adirondack and Lake George Antiques. “With some of the newer tools they just don’t have the same precision that these have.”
Caldwell said he started collecting antique tools roughly 50 years ago and it has been a hobby for him ever since.
“It has been a passion of mine for a while,” he said. “To be able to share that passion with woodworkers and other like-minded people is very cool.”
Caldwell was among dozens of vendors and exhibitors at Sunday’s event, many of whom were either displaying or selling handcrafted wood products. Event organizers said roughly 4,000 visitors attended the two-day event, which wrapped up Sunday.
Show Chairman Ken Evans said the event is an opportunity for the public to see “incredible examples of woodworking.”
“This is a great place for people to see some great woodworking,” Evans said. “We offer seminars, there are vendors here, it’s great if you are into woodworking.”
Evans, who has been the chairman of the event for eight years, said the showcase has expanded dramatically over the last several years.
“It used to not be this big,” he said. “But now there are 4,000 people coming through the doors between the two days.”
Skip Cupolo of Vermont traveled roughly three hours to attend the showcase, saying he has been looking forward to it for several months.
“I came last year and it was tremendous,” he said. “I couldn’t wait to come back and see what these guys, who are unbelievably skilled, had been working on.”
In addition to displaying her large collection of handcrafted wooden creations, Karen Ayers was encouraging visitors to start carving their own pieces of wood.
“You know, I tell people that it doesn’t take an art degree or some great skill to do this,” she said. “You just need a knife and a piece of wood and some practice.”
Ayers told visitors it took her years to master the craft of woodcarving.
“It isn’t easy but with some patience and diligence it certainly can be done,” she said.
Tony Lombardi of Schenectady said he listened to several seminars and was trying to soak up all the information that was available.
“I am just keeping my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut,” he said. “There are a lot of guys here that really know the craft and I am just trying to learn from them.
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