Goodie bag

[Fatboy]

Had these handed to me by one of my neighbours today asking if they were any good to me before he threw them away. Initial glance was to indeed throw them but then I noticed the infil plane sitting underneath them. All heavily rusted and covered in crap but on closer inspection we have a Stanley Bailey made in the USA, an early Sargent 51/2 marked 414 (I think), an early Sargent smoother marked 408 ( I think) and a Stanley smoother which I think might be a more modern model. The interesting one is the infil plane which looks like it might possibly be a Norris? I'm going to give them a light clean tomorrow to see if therecarevany other marks on them but have told him to keep hold of them until we can find out if they are worth anything. Any thoughts?

 

[Orraloon]

A very lucky score. The infill certainly looks like a Norris smoother. Should be marked on the blade and chipbreaker and sometimes the the brass cap. Leastwise my norris panel plane is but perhaps the earlier ones were not marked as much.
In fact they are all good planes. Dont let a little bit of rust put you off. They all should scrub up well.
The infill(norris or not) should be at least a hundred or two on its own.

 

[Fatboy]

A very lucky score. The infill certainly looks like a Norris smoother. Should be marked on the blade and chipbreaker and sometimes the the brass cap. Leastwise my norris panel plane is but perhaps the earlier ones were not marked as much.
In fact they are all good planes. Dont let a little bit of rust put you off. They all should scrub up well.
The infill(norris or not) should be at least a hundred or two on its own.

Thanks Orraloon, I think the owner will be quite happy at that news, he could go with some good luck

 

[Lons]

As said they are all recoverable and worth having, even any too far gone are valuable as parts, I've restored much worse than those.
The infill plane may or may not be a Norris even if it has a Norris blade that isn't proof, it needs to be stamped on other main parts but even if not it has a value. I have a little smoother that was very heavily rusted, I prefer to clean off as little as possible but in this case I had to take it well back but it's a useable plane. It's one of the many common planes known as "lunchbox" planes as the workers in the factories would take castings and parts and make up their own, so if yours is one of those it's still probably worth £50+ cleaned up.
Mine was fitted with a Mathieson blade worn to within a few mm of it's life and every chance that's the factory it originated from as I know the history of it's owners.

 

[Orraloon]

Just checked the markings on the norris panel plane and the top of the adjuster knob is also marked. The fact yours has an adjuster leans it more likely to be norris as the likes of mathieson, preston, spiers and others did not as far as I have seen. A lot of earlier norris planes dont have the adjuster either. May have been a response to stanley and an attempt to compete.
Regards
John

 

[Fatboy]

Thanks for the helpful replies, managed to clean enough to be able to see makers marks on the infill; the iron is a Robert Sorby, the adjuster is marked Norris as well as the iron retainer. I've suggested the owner research values but I guess they'll be appearing on Ebay eventually.

 

[Fatboy]

Completely hidden on the back of the iron!

 

[BillHoughton]

Wish I had a neighbor like that!

 

[Fatboy]

Wish I had a neighbor like that!

I couldnt take them once I realised what they were, threexarentbworth much at all but the Norris and the Stanley 10.5 should get him a couple of hundred at least on Ebay, he needs the money more than I need the planes