# Marples 1938 full catalogue available



## AndyT (24 Jul 2013)

Back in this post I shared some quick snaps of pages in a rather nice 1938 catalogue from William Marples of Sheffield.

I am pleased to be able to say that it is now a new exhibit in the 'Museum' section of Gary Roberts' ever-useful 'Toolemera' website here: 

http://www.toolemera.com/Trade Catalogs/tradecatalogs193.html

and also at Wiktor Kuc's excellent WK Fine Tools site:

http://library.wkfinetools.com/02_Catal ... dTools.asp

So have a look, and think back to those happy pre-war shopping days, when Marples would supply you with everything from a cheese taster to a stevedore's hook; saws planes and chisels in every size and shape; a tuft punch or an ironmoulder's upset.


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## Cheshirechappie (24 Jul 2013)

Blimey - talk about a comprehensive range! 282 pages of sheer quality.

London octagonal boxwood handled bevel-edge firmers, 1/2" size - 22 shillings and threepence per dozen. How times change....


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## AndyT (24 Jul 2013)

Bevel edged did you say? Are they a new thing? ;-)


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## MIGNAL (24 Jul 2013)

Brilliant! 1938 eh? Right there on page 225 is the proof of all proofs. Members of the jury, I quote:

Shamrock tool grinding appliance, painted Red, with bright screw -

_The use of this appliance simplifies the difficult task of grinding a true and level cutting edge on Plane irons, Chisels and other woodworkers tools. It is invaluable to all *Amateurs*._ 

Classic!!!


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## Cheshirechappie (24 Jul 2013)

AndyT":2q9dyc0k said:


> Bevel edged did you say? Are they a new thing? ;-)



Clear and unequivocal proof that they'd escaped into the wild by 1938!

Er - got any 1888 catalogues?


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## bugbear (24 Jul 2013)

It's older than that; from Spons' Mechanics' Own Book, 1901 we have the following:








the old days":3sj2t5fn said:


> Fig: 366 shows a contrivance for resting the tool, and ensuring its being ground at the desired angle. The plane iron a is held by a clamp screw b in the frame c, while the wheel d revolves on the stone e, and steadies the whole. This rest is sold by Churchills, Finsbury, for 2s. The amount of angle or bevel given to the edge varies with different tools and with the fancies of different workmen. In the case of a plane iron it must always be more acute than the angle formed by the sole of the plane and its mouth. The bevel produced on the grindstone should not be quite flat nor rounding (bulging) but rather hollowed out, a result naturally following from the circular form of the grinding surface of the stone, and varying of course with the size of the stone. Many workmen object to the use of any form of rest for the tool during grinding, as tending to produce a hollow edge - the very thing desired by another class.



Sounds like this argument has run for over a century. In fact, since much of the book is reprints from earlier books and magazine, it's probably pre-1901 too.

BugBear

PS; book here for download

http://www.wkfinetools.com/mlibrary/Spo ... echOwn.asp


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## ChrisR (24 Jul 2013)

Thanks for the link Andy, I can spend hours browsing these old catalogues.
I have a (Buck & Hickman) catalogue for 1913, you could purchase a metal screw cutting lathe for £8 . 10s, also they have carpenters, gas fitters and electricians hand carts listed, the disturbing thing is, when I started work, there were local tradesmen still using hand carts. :roll: 

Makes me realise that I really am an old git. 

Take care.

Chris R.

PS £8 . 10s would have been a lot of money then, when you consider that was more than four weeks wages for the average tradesman.


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## toolsntat (24 Jul 2013)

Been looking for SOMETHING :wink: Andy ?

Thanks for the linky 8) 8) 

Andy


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## CStanford (25 Jul 2013)

Really fantastic stuff. I'm a huge Marples fan. Boy, do they ever make the current crop of manufacturers look quaint by comparison. One could not possibly estimate the amount of fine hand-tool woodworking that was done with Marples tools.


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## Fromey (25 Jul 2013)

I don't know about you, but the photo for gardening tools looks like a horror movie to me. I can just imagine him pruning the roses outside the ladies bedroom window!


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## Harbo (25 Jul 2013)

Fascinating catalogue - did they actually make all of this vast range or was it mainly a "brand-name" ?

Rod


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## Racers (25 Jul 2013)

O/K chaps

Page 55 butchers killing hammer yep I get that, but page 140 Paviors Beetles and Monkeys, Beetle is the big mallet, but Monkey how do you use that?

Pete


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## bugbear (25 Jul 2013)

Racers":2ntrswf3 said:


> O/K chaps
> 
> Page 55 butchers killing hammer yep I get that, but page 140 Paviors Beetles and Monkeys, Beetle is the big mallet, but Monkey how do you use that?








BugBear


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## bugbear (25 Jul 2013)

AndyT":1ren1g6c said:


> Back in this post I shared some quick snaps of pages in a rather nice 1938 catalogue from William Marples of Sheffield.
> 
> I am pleased to be able to say that it is now a new exhibit in the 'Museum' section of Gary Roberts' ever-useful 'Toolemera' website here:
> 
> ...



The index pages are both out of order and incomplete    

BugBear


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## wastrel (25 Jul 2013)

As it is 48" high, I reckon it is used with a hand on each handle to thump paving stones in place. The iron ring would help protect the bottom from splitting.


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## Harbo (25 Jul 2013)

I cannot find this hammer in there?:






Nearest according to Salaman is a Sheathing Hammer?

Rod


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## AndyT (25 Jul 2013)

Racers":uj0bxe2c said:


> O/K chaps
> 
> Page 55 butchers killing hammer yep I get that, but page 140 Paviors Beetles and Monkeys, Beetle is the big mallet, but Monkey how do you use that?
> 
> Pete



Note the size - it's 4 foot high! I think you stand beside it, lift it up by the two thin handles and drop it down again. Then wait, exhausted, until someone invents the vibrating plate whacker years later!


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## Racers (25 Jul 2013)

Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.

Pete


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## AndyT (25 Jul 2013)

bugbear":3bx6zq3e said:


> The index pages are both out of order and incomplete
> 
> BugBear



You are quite right BB. I expect that was my error not Gary's. I'll put it right but it may take a little while. 


Meanwhile you should find that the text is searchable (within the limits of unproofed Tesseract OCR.)


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## AndyT (25 Jul 2013)

Racers":183ech34 said:


> Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.
> 
> Pete


Well I for one _never_ do any pig scraping in the workshop! I don't want my bench to get all slippery!


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## wastrel (25 Jul 2013)

Racers":2nolb4ym said:


> Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.
> 
> Pete



I'd guess it was used for scraping the bristles off.


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## bugbear (25 Jul 2013)

wastrel":6dfwje6z said:


> Racers":6dfwje6z said:
> 
> 
> > Seems logical, but what about the pig scraper on 208? its amongst kitchen tools.
> ...



Yes, after scalding.

BugBear


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## Racers (25 Jul 2013)

I have never scolded my pig, but then he's never done any thing wrong :wink:  

Pete


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## bugbear (25 Jul 2013)

Harbo":6h0k1iba said:


> I cannot find this hammer in there?:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Farriers scotch pattern shoeing hammer, page 127.

BugBear


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## GazPal (25 Jul 2013)

wastrel":xcg36qot said:


> As it is 48" high, I reckon it is used with a hand on each handle to thump paving stones in place. The iron ring would help protect the bottom from splitting.



Not for paving stones, but a monkey would be used when laying setts, scoriae blocks, teak end grain blocks and cobbles and this tool was more typically known as a sett rammer. Labourers would use them under the supervision of a street mason when laying setts on lean-mix mortar and prior to grouting/pointing. One pointer - re useless information - is there's a street scene in the musical film "Oliver" (The Mark Lester version) where this type of tool is seen in use.

The beetle/beadle/paving maul is used when laying flag stones and kerbs.

Another tool which saw common use in street masonry was the sett/paviour's hammer (Page 146, item 4349) which was used for laying, adjusting and even removing individual setts/cobbles. Instead of buying a new hammer, a mason might have a blacksmith make one using a small pick or brick hammer head where the blade would be drawn out to around 225mm in length and hooked at the end.

Bit of Useless Information

Tower Bridge was originally paved using blocks of end grain teak on pitch as a means of reducing the weight of the rising bridge decks. The same method was used on streets around industrial areas to reduce the sound made by horses hooves as they drew heavy wagons and carts in the area.


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## dickm (26 Jul 2013)

FWIW, in about 1970 when we lived near Lancaster, the council dug up one of the side roads in the town centre to relay the tarmac and removed many square metres of tar soaked timber from under the tarmac. From memory, the blocks were regarded as a very important perk for the guys doing the job; brilliant fuel if you weren't in a smokeless zone


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## GazPal (26 Jul 2013)

dickm":yggcbop2 said:


> FWIW, in about 1970 when we lived near Lancaster, the council dug up one of the side roads in the town centre to relay the tarmac and removed many square metres of tar soaked timber from under the tarmac. From memory, the blocks were regarded as a very important perk for the guys doing the job; brilliant fuel if you weren't in a smokeless zone



Prior to improvements in MacAdam Asphalt road surfacing, end grain pitch pine was often used as an alternative to cobblestones/setts/scoriae blocks. The down side is the fact they'd sweat during heatwaves and you'd find pitch/tar being trailed everywhere, but the big plus is - like you've mentioned - it makes good kindling and logs for the fire, but beware sap pockets as they either fizzle or go bang when they burn.  Back in the late fifties, I remember us villagers getting hold of a load of the stuff when the municipal council ripped out an obsolete tram-way and re-routed one of the roads near the old glass and iron works at the bottom end of our village.


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## ac445ab (27 Jul 2013)

Thanks fot the link! I did not think Marples had made so much differnt tool types.

Ciao
Giuliano


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