I just wouldn't go comparing the 2 brands. One targets woodworkers, the other targets machine shops with metrology departments inspecting parts. Starrett can charge way more, as those who need them will pay for it as part of doing business. I don't think my company would know what to do with "woodpeckers" square and how to go about getting it calibrated yearly.
It's not a knock on woodpeckers, it's just they aren't targeting the same thing.
I guess my point was that until Woodpeckers made their framing square, there was only one other source for an accurate large sized Made in America square and that was Starrett, and the entry level price was high. Woodpeckers then entered the marketplace and produced a framing square that was close to the accuracy of the Starrett square yet was affordable for the average woodworker. That’s a very big deal because it brought the accuracy of the machine shop to the shop of the average woodworker. That’s not an insignificant event.
Oh I understand. From above though I got the impression people were thinking them as the same thing/Starrett was massively overpriced, or that the price differences were "in a vacuum" and thus there is nothing else driving the price difference. In general I struggle when people get into prices on most things as they just aren't looking at all things involved or the differences. Of course I get one off and lower part count parts I design fabricated routinely, so I have a much different understanding of the cost in making these things then a lot of people. Folks just don't understand how much it cost to design and make something, and how hard it is to get cost out and when you do, what you loose. I generally try to get folks to understand that most thing we buy arn't expensive, most everything is insanely cheap when you realize all that was done to get it to market and on the shelf. A Festool saw isn't expensive, its the 7-1/4" saw at the big box store is very cheap and that comes at many costs.
I'd say the biggest thing the last 20 years is simply the cost of CNC parts has fell thru the floor. You can get a very good CNC "cheap" now, which has made the business for small companies to crank out highly accurate, low volume, special application machined parts a reality. If it wasn't woodpeckers it would have been other businesses. I wasn't looking at this stuff then, so I will just assume they were the first ones to move on this based on your comments. This is where companies need to be careful, it's very easy now for someone else to come along and do the same, so if you do things to sour some customers, it can snowball badly on you fast.
