Michael asks what scraper blades to buy.

I work with a German master violin maker who swears by Kunz.  He says 
they have a great compromise in hardness ie. easy to sharpen and hone 
not overly sensitive to heat and stay sharp.  He's spent the past year 
trying to locate a source for them.  Any suggestions for him?  The old 
Stanly has to be good steel to.  I'd try what you have first you may 
be suprised.
regards 
Ken

>I work with a German master violin maker who swears by Kunz.  He says 
>they have a great compromise in hardness ie. easy to sharpen and hone 
>not overly sensitive to heat and stay sharp.  He's spent the past year 
>trying to locate a source for them.  Any suggestions for him? 

I would never (NEVER) argue with a potential customer and especially not
with an instrument maker and especially not with a German master and I am
willing to stand corrected, but this is the first time in my seventeen years
at this that anyone has ever said anything remotely flattering about a Kunz
blade. I thought the word "Kunz" was German for "compromise" (and that's the
polite translation.)

-- Ron
who has enough respect for violin makers that he has learned today that
perhaps Kunz makes a decent scraper blade and that he may have to upgrade
the impolite translation of their name.

Ron Hock  ron@h...
http://www.hocktools.com
Hock Handmade Knives  16650 Mitchell Creek Drive  Fort Bragg, CA  95437
(707) 964-2782  fax (707) 964-7816

On Wed, 1 Apr 1998 09:25:04 -0800 (PST) Ron Hock ron@h...
writes:
>.... but this is the first time in my seventeen 
>years at this that anyone has ever said anything remotely flattering
about a 
>Kunz blade. I thought the word "Kunz" was German for "compromise" (and 
>that's the polite translation.)

Phil Koontz replies:

So glad you posted this on April 1. (And BTW, so glad I didn't email
that letter to Stanley.)

Embarrassed, but no financial association...

PK
I thought it was Dutch.