Mutter moulder in the wild

[johnnyb]

Yesterday I was at Harrogate enjoying a browse around. At on stall that was mostly cheap car boot new tools there was a box of moulders one I instantly recognised as old. It was a round and stamped mutter. How old is this maker? I think I've got a xxxx late mutter somewhere. The other 20 planes were just victorian and later.
It was obvious this had just turned up as it was unpolished and dirty.

 

[johnnyb]

It appears it was around 250 years old! And made in London. I hope someone buys it who gains some interest from this lovely relic. It was £5. Its 100per cent 18thc as he retired by 1799. But 1750-1770 seems the closest style to me. I consider all the woodworkers that may have owned this and the thousands that walked past over the weekend completely oblivious to this gem.

 

[steve355]

I think there was quite a lot of consolidation of the plane making shops with Moseley buying up Mutter etc. I have an early Mutter pre-Moseley. It’s lovely and really old. I’m trying to use it as my “standard“ plane for copying the style, round wedge finial, 45 deg chamfers rather than bevels etc.

Ill get the plane book out.

 

[steve355]

Here’s mine.

 

[johnnyb]

Same stamp but rounder more bulbous wedge and wider Chambers. It was in remarkable unpolished nick. The gouge cut was similar.

 

[steve355]

Same stamp but rounder more bulbous wedge and wider Chambers. It was in remarkable unpolished nick. The gouge cut was similar.

Didn’t you buy it?

 

[johnnyb]

No I got my kicks from finding it. Then tracing some interesting history. It was a 16 or 18 round I've got enough( these bigger ones are always the survivors often not used)
I'm on de aquisition. But I hope it goes to some user. It took me a long time to get my moulders working well and some are just door stops. The chances of finding a usable( the ethics as well) 250 year old plane are slim at best. I chose to make stuff using the planes if possible but avoid to much buying. To much stuff gets in the way of making( for me)