Date?

[Digit]

A friend of mine runs an antique/junk business, (my definition, not his,)
and with me being a carpenter, (his definition, not mine,) I seem to have been lumbered with sorting out all the woodworking tools that he acquires.
Some are junk, sometimes the odd gem.
Take a look at this one...

...anyone care to put a date on this.
No maker's name and fitted with a Robert Sorby iron that tapers from side to side across the width quite noticeably.
It has been re mouthed in the past but someone must have loved it as the original laying out lines are still visible on the cheeks, no dents etc.
I suspect early 19 C as the tote is old fashioned and so small I can't get four fingers into it.
Any ideas?

Roy.

 

[bugbear]

A friend of mine runs an antique/junk business, (my definition, not his,)
and with me being a carpenter, (his definition, not mine,) I seem to have been lumbered with sorting out all the woodworking tools that he acquires.
Some are junk, sometimes the odd gem.
Take a look at this one...


...anyone care to put a date on this.
No maker's name and fitted with a Robert Sorby iron that tapers from side to side across the width quite noticeably.
It has been re mouthed in the past but someone must have loved it as the original laying out lines are still visible on the cheeks, no dents etc.
I suspect early 19 C as the tote is old fashioned and so small I can't get four fingers into it.
Any ideas?

Roy.

Curious - it doesn't show a great deal of wear, and yet has been remouthed. That sounds more like a tune-up remouthing than compensating for wear. Planes of this size (I'm guessing circa 20") are used for precision, not hard labour.

The tapering in the blade is usual in woodies.

The handle shape is most unusual - quite elaborate, and with a long tip.

My guess for date would be 1850-1890. The blade looks sort-of-modern. Earlier blades were thinner at the top, and more rounded.

I assume you've looked REALLY carefully on the toe for a maker's stamp, perhaps giving it a bit of a clean (I use briwax on a brass suede brush)

BugBear

 

[Digit]

Hi BB, yep I've cleaned it, I also use a suede brush. Not a maker's nor even a personal mark.
It's 22 inches long, I mentioned the taper 'cos it is noticeably more than I'm used to.
The absence of any makers mark and the stylised tote makes me suspect it was home made.

Roy.

 

[Night Train]

I've had planes like that with a tapered iron, usually the end has suffered a lot of hammering through misuse. Also had the smaller tote too.
I always figured that it might have been used with three fingers in and the index finger pointing as if using a hand saw. That is how I hold a plane now anyway, with my index finger on the back corner of the frog near the adjustment knob.

 

[Digit]

Any opinion as to the age?

Roy.

 

[PaulO]

so small I can't get four fingers into it.

Roy.

Why would you want to? Three is the normal number to use, thumb and index finger outside the handle.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

You could allways squash your fingers in the vice


Pete

 

[Digit]

Why would you want to?

I was using that as a size example, the tote is uncomfortably small for normal usage, perhaps that is why it seems to have had so little use.

Roy.

 

[bugbear]

I have a Goodman first edition, and he lists the earliest working date of Robert Sorby as circa 1830.

BugBear

 

[Digit]

Thanks BB.

Roy.