The chips fly, the scent of fresh wood fills the air – Rudolf Dick is satisfied. The trained engineer finds peace and relaxation while planing. Together with his brother Heinrich, who is responsible for commercial matters, he is the fourth generation to run the Dick company in Metten, Lower Bavaria.
The company specializes in tools for working wood by hand. The saws imported from all over the world, Chisel, Planer, Files and carving knives are valued by professional and private craftsmen alike. What once began in Saxony with the production and export of musical instruments, later blossomed into a recognized trading company with a small production facility for violin making and special tools.
In case you've never had a dog leg irons, Spoon bit, Spriesslischneider or tenths of a measure – these and other things can be found in Dick's catalog.
The offer leaves little to be desired. Rudolf Dick knows every single article; the detailed catalog texts are all from his pen. Products are not only presented soberly here, but special appreciation and deep connection clearly – this applies to both the tools and the material wood.
“Our clientele ranges from hobby gardeners, who buys a simple pruning saw, to ambitious furniture makers with very specific needs ", reports the managing director and adds: "The need, to work more by hand again, grows. ”This is also proven by the up to 300 Parcel deliveries daily.
Self-designed or manufactured products are offered under the old company name “Herdim”. Production takes place in Bavaria, England, but also in India, for example. "Sometimes I also sit down at the drawing board myself", admits the engineer and at the same time regrets the constant lack of time. But if you are a buyer, product manager, Marketingmann, catalog copywriter, Is an inventor in a person, this is not surprising. Nor is it surprising, that Rudolf Dick is interested in it, how the various tools are created. If he – and that's what he likes to do best - traveling to the most remote corners of the world, to find tools that are rare or new to him, he likes to look over the shoulder of the masters; most recently a Japanese blacksmith doing lengthy detailed work on a fine blade.
"Handicraft has a completely different meaning in Japan than it does here", reports Dick, fascinated, “And tools are there more than just commodities, that serve a purpose. Apart from this: You come from a different culture, are handled differently and require more sensitivity from us. That is why we also offer workshops, in which how to deal with them and foreign work techniques can be learned. "
Find in new premises 2003 around a hundred workshops take place, it is about topics such as wood connections, Japanese tool science, Building bows or working with green wood. Rudolf Dick was able to attract masters in their subject from various countries as lecturers.
This year he is going to Sweden for the block house building course. Working with the wood and exchanging ideas with the other course participants are then both a job and a leisure activity for him. And applies to both: main thing, the chips fly.