Help ID and value for Brace

[Mike.S]

I'm trying to assist someone who was a cabinet maker, specialising in furniture restoration (apprenticed in the 1950s) who now, due to ill-health, is no longer able to work wood and wishes to dispose of his tools.

In his workshop amongst the lathes, veneers, and assorted items from 60+ years of woodworking were:

The previous owner's name was W Goodman who was believed to be a 'well known' name in woodworking. Here's a close up:

The brace appears to be made from Ebony and brass. The name plate shows it's made by Marples but if anyone can throw any light on likely model, age or other details I'd be very grateful. A likely resale value and any suggestions as to whom 'W Goodman' may have been would also be welcome.

 

[Mr_P]

Plenty on the bay rough estimate £200 - £300

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WILLIAM-MARPL ... 2a4f3b15b7

 

[Woodchips2]

I used to use one of these braces until I bought a Stanley ratchet brace and donated it to a museum

Regards Keith

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Do you have any more clues about G Woodman e.g. whereabouts he lived? I'm assuming that the brace was made 1870-1900 or so. Looking at the English censuses from the 1880's to 1911 there are very few G. Woodman's - G. seems more popular as a middle initial. Cheers, W2S

 

[damo8604]

Try W Goodman? :mrgreen:

 

[bugbear]

Unless it's ... W L Goodman, which would be "interesting"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/History-Woodwor ... B001375ODM

BugBear

 

[AndyT]

Braces like that are a specialist area of tool collecting already, and the value of an ordinary such brace, as Mr P has said, will be in the hundreds.

But if that brace really did belong to Bill Goodman, author of the standard work on British Planes and Planemakers and the first comprehensive history of Woodworking Tools, it has a value beyond the ordinary.

It is quite likely that this very brace would have been bought at a specialist tool auction at David Stanley auctions - http://davidstanley.com/. I suggest that you phone them, show them the pictures on here and ask - they will probably know exactly when Bill Goodman's tools were sold, whether he was in the habit of marking tools that were old when he bought them, and will have a good idea of the possible value of this one. He died in 1993.

If it is another W Goodman, they will still be a very good source of advice!

Some more of Bill Goodman's are on display in the TATHS collection of tools at Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre:


http://www.taths.org.uk/about-taths

http://www.taths.org.uk/tools-and-trades/tool-collection

 

[Mike.S]

Thank you Andy T and Bugbear and Woody (albeit looking for the wrong man :shock: ).

So, it seems that if this W Goodman is the same as W (Bill) L Goodman, then there might be some mileage in the past ownership enhancing its value. I'll investigate further see what the background story is about how/when acquired. Then contact with David Stanley may be appropriate.

All help much appreciated.

Miike

 

[Woody2Shoes]

The most recent census available is the 1911.

There are two W. Goodman's in lunatic asylums (a baker and a newspaper seller) in the 1911 census! There was a William Lawton Goodman (born about 1865) who was a Carriage Manufacturer in Liverpool.

I've just discovered that Rhykenology is the study of planes!

 

[Mike.S]

Woody

That William Lawton G, carriage maker, sounds interesting but as AndyT said Bill Goodman died in 1993 I suspect it's not him, but perhaps a relative? Perhaps I'm twisted but I like the thought that it might of come from someone who ended up in a lunatic asylum :twisted:

I shall delve deeper.

Mike

 

[Woody2Shoes]

I'm fairly sure that the author of the books on old woodworking tools was William Louis Goodman (b. 1903 near Nottingham d. 1993 near Bristol) - his father was a William Henry Goodman (a lithographic printer in Leicester in 1911). I suppose W. Goodman on the brace could have been either father or son.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

An interesting obituary of William "Bill" Louis Goodman in here. I haven't been able to identify any children - it would appear he only married the once and she died tragically young in her early thirties. His dad appears to have sustained an eye injury in WW1.

http://taths.org.uk/images/downloads/ne ... /NL041.pdf

 

[AndyT]

Woody you beat me to it as I was typing slowly!

I'm fairly sure that the author of the books on old woodworking tools was William Louis Goodman (b. 1903 near Nottingham d. 1993 near Bristol) - his father was a William Henry Goodman (a lithographic printer in Leicester in 1911). I suppose W. Goodman on the brace could have been either father or son.

Yes that identification is correct. He certainly was a collector of tools, and is certainly a "well-known name," not least around this corner of ukw.

On reflection, I think it's unlikely that he would have marked the brace, as the lettering looks as old as the rest of the brace, but any collector is likely to be tempted if he finds a tool with his name on. With him being so well-known, if this brace had gone through auction it would have been spotted and commented on.

But, as you have found, although he was trained as a joiner he did not come from a line of woodworkers. There is more info on him in an obituary you can find in Newsletter 41 here.

Mike, I'm sure you know this, but just in case, with any potentially valuable tool such as this "Ultimatum" brace, don't be tempted to clean it. This one looks to be in lovely condition anyway, but hasty cleaning can take a huge slice off the value of any antique.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

The obit. mentions his "Ultimatum Brass Framed Ebony Brace" and implies it was one of his most precious pieces - tantalisingly!!

 

[Mike.S]

Mike, I'm sure you know this, but just in case, with any potentially valuable tool such as this "Ultimatum" brace, don't be tempted to clean it. This one looks to be in lovely condition anyway, but hasty cleaning can take a huge slice off the value of any antique.

Appreciate the advice. To be honest I was wondering about cleaning the 'spots' on the brass (see 2nd pic) but shall leave well alone.

All - I much appreciate the efforts to fully identify the Bill Goodman. Now it's just a case of seeing if the tool's provenance supports the theory that it's the same man.

Mike