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With a few hours to kill in Maine this afternoon I tool a long-overdue side trip to Liberty Tool Co. in Liberty, Maine. While the state of Maine in general has more than its share of vintage tools, Liberty Tool Co. is supposed to be the mother ship of steel, rosewood and cast iron.
Located in a white clapboard building across the street from the Davistown Museum, I was sure my wallet was going to end up lighter by the end of the afternoon. The covered porch in front of the store is heaped with piles of tools and hardware in all manner of glass jars.
I poked around the porch a bit and reached for the front door.
It was closed. Damn. Though my sources told me that Liberty Tool was open on Sundays, this is February in Maine. You’re lucky if the bowling alley is open if there aren’t tourists around. I peered in through the dusty windows and got a glimpse of the tools on the first floor.
The view made me want to be a better man. I’ll be back later. But I’ll call first before I make the hike.
The whole trip wasn’t a waste, however, I did encounter the very first birdhouse that I’ve ever wanted to build. It’s awesome. Look for plans for the “Handplane Birdhouse” in an upcoming issue (errr, probably not). Look for plans in an upcoming blog entry.
– Christopher Schwarz
