List of British manufacturers of woodworking machines

[MilesH]

Any additions or corrections gratefully incorporated.............

R.S. Brookman (Loughborough)

G. Buchanan & Co. (London)

Bursgreen (Colne)

B.W.C. Ltd. British Woodworking Machinery Corporation (London)

A. Cooksley & Co. Ltd (London)

Coronet (Derby)

Daltons Wadkin (Nottingham)

Danckaert Woodworking Machinery Co. (London)

Dening & Co. (Chard)

Dodd (Essex)

Dominion Machinery Co. Ltd (Halifax)

W.A. Fell (Windemere)

William Furness (Liverpool)

M. Glover & Co. (Leeds)

W.B. Haigh & Co.

W.B. Haigh, Gruban & Co.

Haigh & Lees (Oldham)

William Hardill Sons & Co. (Cleckheaton)

T. S. Harrison & sons 'Union' etc. (Heckmondwike)

Hockey & Co. (Chard)

Hollis Woodworking Engineering Co. (London)

Thomas Holt & Co. (Rochdale)

Holtzapffel & Deyerlein (London)

Interwood (Hornchurch)

Johnston, Hewitson, Wilson & Co (London)

Robert Kerr & Sons (Glengarnock)

Kershaw Brothers (Hebden Bridge)

Kiné Engineering Co., Ltd. 'Multico' (Horley)

Adam Knox (Glasgow)

Leete, Edwards & Norman (London)

John McDowall & Sons (Johnstone)

Metalclad (Neath)

Modern woodworking machines Ltd (Leicester)

Myford Engineering Co. Ltd (Beeston)

T. & R. Lees (Hollingwood)

Malkin & Binns (Halifax)

William McLean & Sons, Ltd (Dundee)

Oliver Machinery Co. Ltd (Manchester)

Phillipson (Gainsborough)

John Pickles & Sons (Hebden Bridge)

Powis, James & Co. (London)

Allen Ransome & Co. (Newark on Trent & London)

Edward Rayner & Co. (Liverpool)

Record tools (Sheffield)

F.W. Reynolds & Co. (London)

Reynolds & Brauer (Lowestoft)

Richards & Atkinson (Manchester)

Thomas Robinson & Son (Rochdale)

Rye Engineering Works (High Wycombe)

J. Sagar & Co. (Halifax)

Sedgwick Woodworking Machinery (Leeds)

Selson Machine tool Co. Ltd (London NW10)

Robert Sorby & Sons (Sheffield)

John Stansfield (Leeds)

Stenner Ltd (Tiverton)

Stenner & Gunn (Tiverton)

JJ Smith (Liverpool)

Sawmill Machinery Co. (Hebden Bridge)

Scott Brothers, Ltd. (Halifax)

William Sparrow (Martock)

Startrite Machine Tool Co. Ltd (London; Gillingham Kent)

Wadkin & Co. (Leicester)

Wadkin Bursgreen (Co. Durham & Colne)

Watts bros (Sheffield)

Thomas White & Sons Ltd (Paisley)

A. Whitehead & Co. (Halifax)

John Wild & Co. Ltd (Oldham)

Wilson Bros. Ltd (Leeds)

Samuel Worsamm & Co. (London)

 

[dannyr]

Do you mean current or historical? Looks like historical - the number must be huge if you include machine makers who maybe just made a tool or two for wood, but otherwise agricultural, factory tools or metal machines, especially nineteenth cent.

One classic for a starter - Holtzapfel.

 

[MilesH]

Hi Danny,

Historical (99%!)

If you want a current list:

Daltons Wadkin

Sedgwick Woodworking Machinery

Robert Sorby & sons

Record Tools (arguably)

Stenner Ltd


"Holtzapffel" Thanks! Shouldn't have missed them!

Edited to add Stenner

 

[Jelly]

Hi Danny,

Historical (99%!)

If you want a current list:

Daltons Wadkin

Sedgwick Woodworking Machinery

Robert Sorby & sons

Record Tools (arguably)


"Holtzapffel" Thanks! Shouldn't have missed them!

You missed Stenner Ltd. who are still churning out gigantic bandsaws, and I think Robinson (or possibly the reminants of Robinson under a new name) are still kind of active but only producing spares and reconditioned machines

 

[MilesH]

Yes! Thanks. How did I miss out Stenner?!!!

 

[Jelly]

Yes! Thanks. How did I miss out Stenner?!!!

FWIW I don't think they're particularly well known in the wider woodworking world.

Their very smallest saws would still only really make sense for a particularly large or well equipped joinery workshop, and everything past that is really exclusively aimed at sawmilling (be that for primary conversion or resaw/planing mills).

 

[t8hants]

JCB made little bandsaws, I have one.

 

[dannyr]

I think Axminster, although importing a vast proportion of its offers, is slowly making more and more in UK and might now or soon be included in list?? This trend to be encouraged, anyway.

 

[MilesH]

JCB made little bandsaws, I have one.

Indeed. I've seen quite a few on eBay. Thanks.

 

[MilesH]

I think Axminster, although importing a vast proportion of its offers, is slowly making more and more in UK and might now or soon be included in list?? This trend to be encouraged, anyway.

It would be great if they could develop more new designs here, too.

 

[MilesH]

Oh! Is there a limit to the number of times you can edit a post? My initial post is no longer accessible for editing....

 

[dannyr]

I'm not knowledgeable about machinery, but I do try to know as much as poss about vices/vises (no sniggering at the back, please) - J Parkinson (later and sons) of Shipley, the big vise player before WWI, made a huge range of machinery, mostly metal work but I think one or two for wood.
Another smaller name (also vices, surprise) Geo Harrison's of Ripley.

For long lists have you researched the catalogues for the big exhibitions, starting with Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, and the British catalogues for Paris etc.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Can we add Kine Engineering Co (Multico) , Interwood and possibly NU Tool, not sure if they were all British but names from the past.

 

[MilesH]

I'm not knowledgeable about machinery, but I do try to know as much as poss about vices/vises (no sniggering at the back, please) - J Parkinson (later and sons) of Shipley, the big vise player before WWI, made a huge range of machinery, mostly metal work but I think one or two for wood.
Another smaller name (also vices, surprise) Geo Harrison's of Ripley.

For long lists have you researched the catalogues for the big exhibitions, starting with Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, and the British catalogues for Paris etc.

Interesting. Hadn't come across Parkinson before. J W Parkinson and Son (Shipley) Limited

Yes, need to go through the Great Exhibition catalogue etc

 

[MilesH]

Can we add Kine Engineering Co (Multico) , Interwood and possibly NU Tool, not sure if they were all British but names from the past.

Kine I already have in the list (out of alphabetical order though. Sorry!) and Interwood too. Not sure about NU Tool. Will check. Thanks Peter

 

[Peter Sefton]

NU Tool may have just been a brand name for kit made overseas.

 

[dannyr]

Macintire & Christopher, London

 

[dannyr]

Are you only counting stationary machines?
Some variants of the electric power tools of Bridges, Black and Decker UK, Tarplaner's maker, some Wolf powertool, Makita Telford probably others are stationary. also some Stanley products were bench mounted drills etc.

 

[MilesH]

Are you only counting stationary machines?

I think so. It's going to be long enough as it is

 

[dannyr]

and there's probably a long list of grinding tool makers, saw sharpeners, etc to keep all those machines and their woodworkers in operation.

sorry, Miles, it's a great idea of yours -- maybe eliminate those as well?

a separate list for those and another for the British power tools?