mahking51
Established Member
Nearly didn't go today as the weather was rubbish, most people packing up as I got there but saw this little gem peeking out of a box of rubbish.
Didn't really know what it was but saw the patent mark of 1875 and grabbed it for a fiver!
I think its a Liberty Bell, whatever that is, anyone got any info please?
The rear tote is broken but otherwise all the finish is there, no rust but what looks like a small partial crack in the cap iron. The blade looks like it is not the original, marked Thos Ibbotson and another mark of some sort.
The sole and mouth are all clean and unmarked. The adjuster mechanism is unlike any I have seen.
Regards
Martin
Didn't really know what it was but saw the patent mark of 1875 and grabbed it for a fiver!
I think its a Liberty Bell, whatever that is, anyone got any info please?
The rear tote is broken but otherwise all the finish is there, no rust but what looks like a small partial crack in the cap iron. The blade looks like it is not the original, marked Thos Ibbotson and another mark of some sort.
The sole and mouth are all clean and unmarked. The adjuster mechanism is unlike any I have seen.
Regards
Martin
Well the patents listed for that date, none of them seemed to be relevant to that plane (stick the date in and see for yourself). So, as sometimes the tool makers got either a)confused, or b)sloppy, it seemed not unreasonable to see if there was something likely in the patents granted the following year - which would likely have been applied for the year before. i.e. 1875 Behold, one came up for the depth adjuster and the description "Used on the Stanley Liberty Bell planes." Mike's knowledge of B&G has revealed that you do indeed have a Liberty Bell plane (and not a lever cap from a Transitional, which is what I first wondered), so it looks like that's the applicable patent. The moral being; when you have a 'Murrican tool with a patent date, get thee to the DATAMP. If you have a British tool with a patent number, get thee to the 
