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Hi Ed, Bought this brace yesterday, it's branded "P&B Made in England". Parry and Bott, Birmingham. I don't know anything about them apart from what's available on google. Cheers, Geoff.

Hi Ed, If I had to lay odds my money would be on your brace being made by Stanley UK but it would only be a guess. The burning question remains, who was B&B? Perhaps a hardware retailer? Here's a 10' brace by James Chapman that's got the Government arrow, but the coincidence of the number -196...

Hi Ed, When I first saw your pics I felt sure I had seen that B&B brand before but I've hunted through my books, catalogues and tools and I'm blowed if I can find it. I've checked my braces for one the same as yours, no go, the big difference being your brace has cylindrical handle retainers...

Hi all, The accompanying photo is, as you will all know of course, a drill-brace, in this case a Millers Falls No 182. It is two tools in one, a breast drill and with the removal of the cranked gear wheel it becomes a common brace. An article in The Fine Tool Journal Vol 66 No 3 has a photo of a...

Yes, that's what I would assume.

According to Jane and Mark Rees book "Tools. A guide For Collectors". "John Cartwright of Sheffield took out a patent for a brass framed brace in 1848. The patent was purchased by William Marples who, by 1854, had put the 'patent metallic-framed brace' into production and coined the very...

That's great, one found means there could be more out there. Something else for me to keep an eye out for. Thanks very much for showing us. Geoff.

Some trucks had an arm that dropped down into your line of sight from above the windscreen to warn you when you'd run out of air for the brakes. The buzzer came on at the same time. When you were racing down a hill, out of control, looking death in the face these two factors really helped you...

That's a handy archive Nick. The chain drill was still for sale in the McPhersons (Australian) catalogue of 1935, but the Yankee bench drills are not listed there. Cheers, Geoff.

Thanks for this article Nabs, I've found it most interesting and if that makes me a tool nerd so be it. Of possible related interest may be the North Bros No 1500 Chain drill which uses an advancing mechanism very similar to the bench drill. Two patents by George Leopold cover this tool, US...

I struggle with the computer as well Ray, one of my problems is understanding the jargon used. Here are a couple of photos of the type of chuck I think we're talking about. This brace is a daily user, has no brand has a tiny GERMAN and a depiction of a brace stamped into the frame. As an added...

If I see a brace at the market, clean and absolutely no markings on it I generally leave it there. On the other hand if it looks British,Australian or American, it's covered in gunge or writing faintly visible through the rust I'll grab it. As to how many braces can you store in your workshop...

If your mother is 88 you are possibly in your 60's, still working? What are your plans for when you retire? When I retired 10 years ago the last thing I would have expected was that I would start collecting, and learning to use, braces and brace tools. I grew up in a house with our Grandmother...

James Chapman also made braces with 8 flats. I think the only ones with nine flats were the ones with the 239718 reg number on them, were "A" grade. The cheaper B, C, D quality and Woodside branded, ratchet and plain models all had 8 flats also some cylindrical chucks too. I would say here in...

Nick thanks for the info, that's about as far as I've got. The only braces I've seen with the No 239718 on are the chuck shells with nine facets. I have somewhere that James jr also registered the entwined JAC trademark and I was thinking about the same time, 1894. There must have been...

Hi Bart, Using the circles on the head, the two grooves round the ends of the handle, the profile of the chuck shell and the shape of the connection of the chuck to the frame as a guide, I've got a J A Chapman, J Tyzack and Son and a James Howarth all of Sheffield. These are all small 6inch...

Thanks Don and Andy. If one assumed that the branding on the tool would be changed to show the new partner Barrett could it then also be assumed that the brace is pre 1912 production? That's a better price, thanks for the info Andy. Cheers, Geoff.

Thanks for the info' chaps. CC the Ted Frost book sounds like a good read so thought I might buy a copy. It is still commanding a solid price second hand, over AU$100 was the cheapest I could find at Abebooks so changed my mind. Cheers, Geoff.

I recently found this unremarkable James Chapman brace and was giving it a bit of a clean yesterday. On the chuck is stamped James Frost Norwich and the Chapman Reg. No 239718. I entered James Frost in the search box and found this thread. This is the only James Frost tool I've seen. Cheers, Geoff.

Thanks Andy and Rhyolith, I hadn't considered a tool being made for a company for them to put their own mark on but rather being produced for them and branded as part of the manufacturing process. Most interesting. Cheers, Geoff.