Its been bad at times that's for sure. I have seen some real tear 
jerkers of destroyed tools
   and mostly in the name of rank amateur work.
But recently I have been seeing small changes that I hope will grow into 
a trend.

A girl who wants to be an artist with a plasma cutter (and there are a 
few genuine artists around)
posted a stack of saws she had bought with the intention of cutting them 
up.
She was posting to see if there was any interest in the saws themselves, 
above mere "canvas" for sculpture.

And even though there were one or two "ringers" in the pile (which were 
quickly separated out), the rest? The rest were the exact thing you 
would choose to make an art project of.
Plastic handles, slab plywood "past the taper ground era" handles, lots 
of pitting and corrosion.
  Ideal fodder for sculpture.

  The fact that the idea of destroying valuable useful saws occurred to her,
  was something I thought was very cool.
There are more than plenty truly unwanted tools to make puky ducks from.
It was like ---finally-- they are starting to ask.

Hope it grows into a trend
      yours scott

*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html