Why This Old Tony’s Videos Work

Previous video: Building A Pool Cue Rack! in the vein of This Old Tony • Building A Pool Cue Ra...
The Star of the Show:
This Old Tony: / thisoldtony
Channels featured in this video, in no particular order:
Frank Howarth: / frankhowarth
DIY Perks: / diyperks
Make It Extreme: / @makeitextreme
EvanAndKatelyn: / evanandkatelyn
Clickspring: / clickspring
Abom79: / abom79
Jimmy DiResta: / jimmydiresta
The Samurai Carpenter: / thesamuraicarpenter
April Wikerson: / aprilwilkerson
Matthias Wandel: / matthiaswandel
The Path Of Fire: / thepathoffire
Alec Steele: / alecsteele
Fireball Tool: / fireballtool
Isa's World: / @isasworld
LaurDIY: / laurdiy
Natalies Outlet: / nataliesoutlet
Nerdforge: / nerdforge
Colin Furze: / colinfurze
DIY Perks: / diyperks
William Osman: / williamosman
jacksfilms: / jacksfilms
Ashley Harwood: / ashleyharwood
Homestead Heritage School of Woodworking: / heritagewoodschool
Essential Craftsman: / essentialcraftsman
AvE: / arduinoversusevil2025
The Den of Tools: / thedenoftools
PewDiePie: / pewdiepie
Casey Neistat: / caseyneistatofficial
Code Bullet: / codebullet
Casually Explained: / casuallyexplained
How To Basic: / howtobasic
Bon Appetit: / bonappetit

[@ThisOldTony]

if it weren't for the green sweater I would've sworn I was watching myself! next time i take a 7 month break... you're hired!

what a nice homage

[@smallshoptalk589]

I know, right? Also, not the same voice, but nice of him trying.

[@MrSneakyGunz]

Very cute. 😉

[@BenFarrell]

**bows down** I'm not worthy!! I'm not worthy!!!

[@brewcity1834]

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

[@seventytwo1001000]

Tony has the right mix of knowledge, production values, entertainment, and Dad jokes. Definitely one of my favorite KZbinrs. Also a great breakdown of his style, in what can be a pretty bland tubeverse, TOT is one of the standout channels.

[@Genkenx]

Agreed - this is a delightful piece of work. I've found it tremendously helpful in identifying elements of TOT's videos that appeal to my tastes. Extremely well done- thank you for making it. Looking forward to the next one.

[@5tr41ghtGuy]

Thanks to this video, I am now aware of some of the techniques TOT uses to enhance the entertainment value of his videos. But make no mistake, the main draw (at least for me) is the strength of the technical content; that is to say, very interesting and non-trivial projects executed masterfully. I have learned a great deal from watching TOT!

[@superzova]

Oh same. I don't even have much interest in machining or metalworking, but TOT's videos are some of my favorites

[@theprogram863]

One thing bothered me in this otherwise excellent video. I have to really think about it before I could figure out what it was. Your audio is a little too good. By using a voice-over with only his hands visible, there's implied physical closeness. Tony creates a sense of intimacy with the viewer. He becomes the voice in our head. But because of the limitations of recording in his garage, the narration is very slightly tinny and has a slight echo. That accidentally gives the viewer back a little of their personal space. When I listen to Tony, he's my pal and we're hanging out together. Your audio was richer, deeper, and less noisy. In theory, better, but it felt like you were whispering into my ear and for a while I couldn't figure out why. Tony sometimes apologizes for his audio, but I think he's stumbled onto a good balancing tactic for the physical space thing. Great job on this. You really captured Tony's technique, and I feel like I learned a lot about video from watching this and hearing you break down his style.

[@dave7038]

Agreed. I don't want to feel like I'm sitting in a closet with the narrator. I've addressed this by spending $12 for my computer speakers, now it doesn't matter how much effort a producer spends trying to make their audio amazing, when I play the video it's guaranteed to sound tinny and distant.

[@justintolentino661]

One other nitpick would be that ToT does scene cuts that also chop off the last bit of audio.

[@theprogram863]

@@justintolentino661 I think that's an artistic decision. Often the abrupt cut is paired with very edgy and/or very dad jokes to both punctuate and move on quickly.

[@eojsleen]

Nice homage to Tony. And by the way, It was sure nice to see a new video from him come out over the weekend. I was afraid we had lost him forever. All is right with the world again! You're no slouch with video either.

[@supertramp6011]

Does anyone know what gives with TOT taking a break? Hope everything is well with him. Maybe we all need a break now and then,either way ,I’m really glad he’s back!👌

[@eojsleen]

@@supertramp6011 The way I understand it, there was a death in his family. A close relative. Although he has superstar status with viewers, I guess he's human after all and subject to the same things we are. Happily, it looks like he's back from his hiatus. It made my day to see new content.

[@morsecodereviews1553]

I stumbled across this 2 years too late to be on time for the party. But hey, I'd be remiss if I didn't say this was one heck of a wild ride. 11/10 thoroughly enjoyable and inciteful. I damn near shed a tear seeing my childhood buddies again Norm and Tim😁

[@douglasharley2440]

i am convinced that this old tony is genius, like an irl genius, so he makes being his hilarious and endlessly competent helpful self look effortless...thanks for explaining exactly why it's actually difficult. this was an amazing homage to the master, *respect!*

[@RotarySMP]

You channelled your inner Tony really well! Nice one. Edit... now further into watching, this video is far better than just the tribute. Thanks for putting in the huge effort to make it.

[@arminth]

What a masterpiece and a great tribute to my most favorite YT channel! No clue what your channel is actually about but I immediately had to subscribe! P. S. : you definetly have to shorten your fingernails to really sound like Tony! 😁

[@EdsAutoRepair.]

😄

[@daveys]

I think you’ve done a super-thorough analysis on Tony’s videos here and kept true to Tony’s style throughout. Well done! I’ve been a fan of Tony for a while and I just really like the content, the pace, the gags and the editing style of his output. Watching the older videos shows how the techniques have become more established over time, to the point that current videos are a real joy to watch. For me, it’s what keeps me watching KZbin when I really should be doing something more productive.

[@RobertMilesAI]

Before finishing the video, I'll say I'm often amazed by the cinematography of Laura Kampf's work. Some really interesting shots and great integration of music and diegetic text

[@robdavy4468]

This video is amazing! The work that went into this, the research, everything, wow!

[@johnherrington1110]

The fact that I know just about all of the channels you referenced in this video tells me one sad fact… I watch entirely too much KZbin.

[@kevinvermeer9011]

Either that, or we have good taste!

[@sanches2]

@@kevinvermeer9011 both :)

[@PikkaBird]

Also the one at 2:51...? ;-P

[@JackPinesBlacksmithing]

I am totally blown away at the quality, breadth, and depth of this tribute and breakdown of This Old Tony! I had only hoped to one day be mildly entertaining and educative about blacksmithing here on KZbin. You inspire me, sir, and you now have another subscriber as I’ll be studying your study of creators.

[@MakerMeraki]

This video / homage is BRILLIANT! I watched the whole thing and was thoroughly entertained. I love Tony's videos, and this one is definitely on par. 👍

[@threeriversforge1997]

That was fantastic. I'm getting a goodly bit of pressure to do some blacksmithing videos because apparently there aren't enough blacksmiths already hammering away on youtube. Of course, TOT's style appeals to me more than I could ever put in to words and I'm very glad that you did this homage to a great creator. Wonderful content!

[@paulelmore8364]

One of the best videos I've seen on KZbin! I'm a die-hard TOT fan (and every other creator referenced apparently) but this one had me laughing out loud. Perfect inflection, timing, cuts, hand waves, dad jokes, and cinematography. If imitation is the greatest dorm of flattery, Tony is feeling amazing right now. Obviously, the only option I have now is to subscribe to your channel and binge watch everything you've made. Looking forward to it. Thanks for making my day!

[@sklzlm]

Great job on this video. There were many times i had to remind myself this wasn't a ToT while watching. Thoroughly entertaining.

[@tractortherapy42]

As a big TOT fan, this made me LOL at least 10 times! Good stuff! Edit: this is amazing! Wow!

[@AJB2K3]

I would describe Clickspring as Museum Quality where as TOT is TOT quality

[@cowboybarbaryn1302]

The camera work and shot composition is absolutely stellar between both this and your previous video. I’ve recently started to appreciate cinematography more than I have in the past, and you’re definitely giving me a lot to chew on thank you.

[@dbayboyds409]

That was really fun! Well done!

[@user-fb9os7hy2y]

Tony's stuff works because everything about it reflects what's great about great dad's..unassuming,quiet, intelligent,self effacing and over delivered not over sold. They are, in every way, quietly wonderful.

[@JD-ub5ic]

I genuinely assumed I was watching a huge channel until the end when I tried to find you to look for more videos, couldnt believe your sub count. This was amazing keep it up!!!

[@jdgower1]

Same for me. How can this guy be some damn good while being so damn under exposed? I subbed, too.

[@TommyJobson]

Absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed this video on multiple levels, as a creator of mediocre 'tradesman' videos and as a massive TOT and Clickspring fan. Thanks for shootin' the poop!

[@bobcarlson7729]

as a big tony fan, this was very enjoyable to watch. very well done. looking forward to more in vein ofs!

[@michaeldorman]

Brilliantly done.

[@supertramp6011]

This was a brilliant homage to TOT! You pretty much nailed everything about his vids,thanks for sharing bro! 🤣 subscribe on the back of your hand,cutting off end of sentences,the dental floss cutting,just an awesome effort!

[@lachlanelmore2405]

This is so perfect! Well done

[@42Pursuit]

Incredible! Hats off to you sir.

[@craigdanielski]

Both of you are a real joy to watch!

[@DavidKutzler]

Another thing that makes ToT's videos work is his voice. There is an intimacy to it that makes it feel like you're having a great conversation (even though it's one sided) with someone who's really likable. You did a fairly good job of capturing pacing and phrasing of his narration, but something about his voice really draws you in. I once left a comment on a ToT video jokingly asking if he has to pay royalties for using Alan Alda's voice.

[@marklarsen8]

Dude.. that was awesome. This Old Tony is my favorite channel. You did a great job not only mimicking his style, but explaining how he gets it too. Nicely done.

[@harveyconway6036]

Outstanding!

[@john_co4547]

I could spend the rest of my life watching different people do "This Old Tony Style" youtube videos. This is fantastic

[@jesperwall839]

Just amazing! Well done sir! 👍😀

[@simskii.]

The attention to detail is mind-blowing

[@Mark_How]

I truly dig finding other similar people half way across the globe thanks to the internet. Interrogating and investigating the way people do things and finding delight in understanding why they work so well

[@Suinsap]

great video! first I thought it was too long but i watched it all and even slowed it to catch some of the "time stamps". Also I am glad to see that I follow the trending makers (some of my favorites were mentioned). Thanks for coming back ToT and thanks for the video Ben.

[@LoosiuFlying]

This is one of the most focus binding vijeo 🤪 I have ever seen. Great subject with this old (what you were expecting) not common subject. And strange looks from my family when I was laughing 😂

[@un7ucky]

channels that stand out. its ave right?

[@brucherrin8947]

Well done sir !

[@twotone3070]

Brilliantly done, must have taken ages. Bravo!

[@yep-dev]

This video is exceptional, I keep going back to it just to quickly satisfy my craving for exceptional quality maker videos of Tony's while I wait for his next upload. And I watch yours instead of his because of how beautifully you condensed his work.

[@jdgower1]

Gotta say - you absolutely nailed every part of ToT's style except his voice. I never thought I would ever see anyone even attempt to do that, let alone succeed at it so completely. I'm happy to see that ToT has head nodded this with his appreciation and complement. I don't know how long it took you to make this video, but I know it took a hella long time, and I also know I really enjoyed it - mainly because I'm just now coming out of a months long stretch of ToT video withdrawals because of a supply chain issue in their production and release. They're back on the market now, but my built up jonesin' for them demands more than the supply at hand right now. All kidding aside, you've gained another subscriber. Not because I expect ToT-style vids from you, but because if you are this good and meticulous in your style, I want to be witness to that from the front seat.

[@beauxtx1959]

FANTASTIC homage! Kudos.

[@joeg1992]

Great job! You really captured what Tony does beautifully and described what he does very well, taught me a lot. Thanks!

[@ad08star]

Ben, you just got yourself a new subscriber. awesome video!

[@nashuaaaaa]

Man you hit the ground running with some good production quality and writing

[@deeiks12]

I'm glad youtube brought me here, you've nailed the style pretty well to small details. nicely done.

[@AaronBlankenship]

Why the hell am I still watching this meme of a video ten minutes in? Oh, beacuse it's amazing. BTW you were my #1 recommended video this morning. I legitimately laughed out loud when you hard cut to a Frank clip.

[@BruceBoschek]

In addition to all of the other things one might say, this is an excellent video and I enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you.

[@DRock70]

Lol 👍What an Awesome video style &the script &writing,editing & everything else you already said Definitely the special effects in honoring ToT I didn’t know dental floss could do that!!! Bravo 🙌

[@gstorhof1]

This was fantastic. I am subbed and ready for the next "in the vein of" video

[@fredio54]

Awesome break down, Ben. As TOT's second biggest fan behind you (nice tribute!) and someone fully intending to get a channel going with similar content in my own unique style, the tech tips you extracted from TOT's work were super helpful as, like you, I love his style more than anyone else, too.

[@MissMoffet19]

Omg this is brilliant! 😂😂😂 This Old Tony is special

[@DoinStuff]

Bloody awesome video my friend. I wish my videos were half yours. Great job with emulating TOT.

[@cav89-]

I see you are also an adept of the floss woodslicing tecnique. It is mostly used for riping, but I see you have also mastered crosscutting with it. You are a fearsome man. In all seriousness, that caught me by totally by surprise and cracked me up, and I was supposed to be pretending to be sleeping. Now the wife knows im awake. Thanks.

[@Darnic-Fab]

WOW nicely done!!

[@Oberon4278]

You really nailed T.O.T.'s production style here, and -- more importantly -- you demonstrated that it translates well to other similarly talented producers.

[@JC-yt1pm]

Well done!

[@jasonbryant6694]

I hope this is a trend that continues, I would love to see your take on big Clive or AvE

[@jdgower1]

Oh, that would be awesome!

[@sundhararajanganesan9396]

this video is a pure gold ! .

[@alpha7engineering866]

So good...Nice job. Never watched your channel but super TOT fan and love this. Totally subscribed.

[@Remowylliams]

This was insightful, entertaining, on point, over the top and under the .. So nice work here, TOT couldn't ask for a better free imitation of him or analysis of his style. I'm likely going to dash over and see the Pool Cue Rack video right after a word from my sponsor.. adamantium dental floss. Found in finer welder supply stores now.

[@JeremyMakesThings]

That was an excellent and very informative analysis. A lot to digest there. As someone who is relatively new to making videos in this genre, I sometimes find myself struggling to find my own style- it’s too easy to fall into either the bland “tradesmen” style videos, or I feel like I’m emulating TOT. I think the advice on lighting is pretty spot on, as my lighting set up has evolved, I’ve been increasingly happy with the visual results. I’d be interested to see more analysis of other channels from other genres.

[@CardboardBots]

This is a master class.

[@carnsoaks1]

My first TOT video was the Sine Bar vid. I was so happy, enjoyed him thoroughly. Thanks fella for your effort, subbing.

[@edwardhugus2772]

Thank you, sir, for a terrific homage to TOT style videos. You did such a good job it was scary! I loved every minute of this vid. Emulating one of the ABSOLUTE BEST you tubers was such a nice idea. Also, WELCOME BACK Tony, I REALLY missed your vids, I am glad you are well. Edit: Sorry I forgot.....you have earned a sub from me.

[@highpwr]

Good job! Kudos.

[@Whytho2000]

Hella awesome video!

[@murillobuono8782]

I loved your video! It was so clarifying… I am a big fan of TOT and his style…

[@urkince26]

This video is amazing. I can't believe how well you captured the style of TOT's videos. I hope you make many more of these "In the vein of" videos. If you take requests, please do Evan and Katelyn. That would certainly be pretty hard, but you knocked this so far out of the park I'm sure you could pull it off lol

[@dr.feelgood2358]

i honestly wasn't expecting you to be convincing with a TOT impression, but i dare say you nailed it!.. and you also give a good breakdown of the genre! for some reason Frank's videos have never been suggested to me, but i will definitely check him out now. AvE also does not show his face, as he claims it would make viewers faces melt, but i think he just wants to stay anonymous....because you know celebrity kind of sucks.

[@misterfixit1952]

Thanks for your "on the money" insight into TOT's video style. I've watched him since his early days and have followed his evolving style into what it is today. I really appreciate your wrapup of his equipment and lighting techniques rather than just quitting with an appropriate TOT joke or ending. You definitely earned my "like and subscribe".

[@rogeriocosta1035]

Nice job! When you became famous, I will be one those "I was here since the 765 subscribers!" guys. Cheers! By the way, pool cue are storage is vertical cause a "little" bent is a "big" concern in the pool community.

[@BR.]

This is very good!

[@JesusCruz-my3ob]

The way Tony makes his videos is to my liking and the way you dissect his process is really objective, using his style as an inside joke. And all this in a corner of the Internet where this video is only relevant to those of us who have prior knowledge of what you are talking about. The Internet is becoming more and more magical. You man are an artist.

[@vokeswaagin]

The Bob Vila, Roy Underhill, Norm Abrams, & Tool Time (Home Improvement) montague really took me back. And I'm certian I saw every one of those episodes 🤣 But enough about me, You really pulled off the Tony! Well done!

[@claeswikberg8958]

brilliant

[@briansiler6737]

And his humor is spot on and well polished. It makes you think, and that is his catch ( one of them). I will say that KZbin was lacking great content for about 7 months. But has suddenly been turned around, the day ToT uploaded anther video a couple weeks ago. Then he followed it up with another, and hopefully another! I had to watch his old videos for the third time's during his break. They are almost like star wars to me, I can recite all the lines from the first trilogy.

[@jaromir_kovar]

You've even thrown in an official Frank Howarth's chuckle! Great video study of my most beloved KZbin channel. Thank you.

[@thomasesr]

The problem with your critique of the lighting on youtube tradesman shops is that you forget that it is a shop and lighting is used mostly for building stuff without messing up while marking and measuring and cutting stuff. TOT impression and style is spot on!

[@stefanbraun7465]

Brilliant

[@TandaMadison]

That whole time Tony was not making videos, and was likely captive in you basement being studied for this research, really paid off. Well Done!

[@TSulemanW]

Nice explaination

[@markgoodick4628]

Freaking hilarious, loved it.

[@Handmadeextreme]

Excellent impersonation! Thanks for some great advice on improving my own videos as well! Lots to work on. Good luck with your channel. 👍

[@avi8r66]

I see you got the extended bed on your truck, nice job. And ToT has 'subscribe' in view briefly, usually well camouflaged which is why it works so well.

[@mlindholm]

Seconded. It's put in easter-egg style, "blink and you missed it" sort of gag. Very often a static element too, so it doesn't detract from the point of the video. I expected Ben to only have it exist between two jump-cuts, so it was a bit jarring for it to be present for so long.

[@supertramp6011]

He did get the subscribe thing in- it appeared on the back of his hand for a while earlier in the vidja!🤣

[@teryshaw7370]

The thing about TOT is he is so witty. I genuinely feel like I would enjoy having a conversation with him over a beer, or a jigger of 12 year old cutting oil, or whatever.

[@richardashworth400]

Outstanding. 😊

[@Tristoo]

when you said "killed 2 birds with 1 *stone*" you could have added the oz/ants/elephants conversion again. for comedic comedy and all that.

[@DudleyToolwright]

Very nicely done. You cover a lot of useful elements. I bet you spend more time on preproduction then you do on actually building the project. Whatever you do, it works.

[@r4dios1lence92]

Nice dissection and homage! Always watched DIY stuff just for the entertainment (we engineers are entertained by the darnest things, I tell you), so I knew why I loved This Old Tony style (and the man himself, or at least both hands) and couldn't stomach the rest, but now I thoroughly understand thanks to you. On the note of making a script and having structure, I get what you're saying, because all the time I was watching until you said "I made a script" the video felt like "This Old Tony But Something Is Very Off". This Old Tony's lack of hard script helps the talking flow feel more natural, instead of being dull and predictable. Sure, on television that kind of procedure for talking is necessary because we can't hit pause and rewind when we lose something, but on digital media we can (and I swear, I'mma gonna rewatch that gag at least 3 times). But keeping it more natural loses that predictability and dull feeling. And frankly, I think that even if This Old Tony heavily scripted, he would still managed to keep natural by going off script, but this is a guess, only the man himself (or the hands) would tell. Sure, anyone who becomes a genius in dictation, speaking cadence and other similar voice acting skills will make a hard script feel like an off-the-cuff talk, but the simpler way of sounding natural is to simply not have a hard plan (we who build things always overthink everything, so half the script was already on the head anyways). Planning does goes a long way when you're dealing with things that are certain and predictable ("this desk WILL break if you don't bolt the legs properly"), but entertainment can't be that full of certainty and predictability, even if there are methods, reasoning, and whole damn books that you've read a lot (any diploma comes with the understanding of the effort you put on it). Awesome job!

[@shotgunsam23]

Great video

[@shoofle]

I really appreciate this kind of critical analysis of this cinematography, especially because I think so much of it (or the viewerbase, at least!) feel like they pride themselves on not having any of that "frou frou" fancy editing. A lack of fancy editing or camera tricks is just as much a choice as their presence!

[@stefanotrimboli5116]

Man, TOT needs to see this, it was just great 😁😁😁

[@bdf2718]

He has seen it. And commented on it.

[@mxlje]

I’m 6 min in and just looked at the runtime lol. I’ll get another coffee, can’t wait to watch the whole thing.

[@gingerelvis]

I fall into the middle ground of being fairly hands on (without the extravagant American style home workshop) and a creative visual person (graphic designer). I tend to lean towards the "tradesman" channels but people like Tony and Frank really grab my attention even if I don't have the means or skill to build what they do because they create interesting content that is visually appealing with attention to detail without being over produced or dull. It's relatable even if I don't own a Maho. They have nailed the education and entertainment (edutainment if you will) balance with projects that are usually way out of my current scope but I surprisingly frequently pull knowledge from for my own projects.

[@qtip459_7]

Perfection

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

I've tried to emmulate This Old Tony, but I just can't get my nails that short 😥. Great video! 😁