Record or Stanley No 7 - What is a fair price

TonyW · 24 Mar 2007

I am looking for either an old Stanley or Record No 7 Jointer. From a previous post the advice seems to be "If you want to go cheap go old". I have had some good advice on what to look for particularly with Record from the kind members of this forum. If I understand correctly Record planes are considered to be slightly superior to the Stanley versions.

Not wishing to rush in just yet looked at ebay to follow some bids. Found a Record No 7 - made I believe in the 70's. This sold today for £51 (about half the price of a new one)

I am curious on two points.
1 Bearing in mind the year of manufacture is this considered to be a reasonable buy?

2. Would you look for something much older?

Cheers
Tony

woodbloke · 24 Mar 2007

Tony - I'd look for something older than the 70's unless you wanted to do a lot of fettling :shock: - Rob

Paul Chapman · 24 Mar 2007

Tony,

I would go for mid-1960s or older (look at the frogs in my earlier post). They will be better, although if you are buying from ebay it's probably a bit of a lottery as you can't inspect before you buy (never used it myself).

The thing about how 'good' a plane is really depends on what you want to do with it. If you are going to use it predominantly on soft woods or sweet-grained hard woods, then the choice isn't so critical - any 'reasonable' plane would give you good results. The same might apply if you have an electric planer and are just using the plane to finish off. However, if you are going to work on harder woods, like oak, or woods with difficult grain or, like me, you don't have a planer, then you might be better off looking for something much better - like Clifton, Veritas or lie Nielsen.

The point is that a 1960s Record will be a bit better than a 1970s model, but the difference between them and a Clifton, Veritas or Lie Nielsen will be significant.

It really comes down to what you want to do with it and how much money you have to spend.

Hope this helps,

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Wiley Horne · 25 Mar 2007

Hello Tony,

Just a couple of notes about buying hand planes (and other stuff) on ebay. One rule I have found that works over the years is that "...The wood doesn't lie." In other words, the wood (if original) is a pretty reliable indicator of what kind of a life that plane has lived. If the plane has lived hard, it's unlikely the wood will have survived well. Look for chips off the tote, or a horizontal split in the middle of the tote (very common), and other insults such as checks in the forward knob from being wet for years on end. If the wood looks good, and is original, the plane is likely sound throughout. I have also found it the other way--when I have tried to find a gem with bad wood, it has usually turned out that the wood was not the only issue.

Related to this, there is such a thing as a plane looking too spiffed up and reconditioned. May be OK, but someone may be masking problems with reconditioning, or has simply assembled a plane from parts. The best bet is a plane that looks like it was used with reasonable care 50 years ago, and then got put away in a dry place and was forgotten. Good sound condition, but not particularly shiny.

The other thing to look for is a plane where the seller has included a number of good photos. I have found on a couple of occasions that where the photos were blurry or lacking--there was a reason for it. Conversely, a good presentation by the seller is a sign that the seller is a sensible, capable person and this in itself reduces the risk of your buying a lemon.

The above is all relative to the US ebay, but I suspect it is valid for the UK as well. As far as pricing goes, do a search on '(record, stanley) (7, jointer)', and when the offerings come up, look at 'completed auctions' from the menu over on the left. You can figure out pretty quickly how condition affects selling price, and also which vintages sell at a premium. The price comparison will really define your options compared to buying a new premium plane, allowing for your pocketbook and your attitude toward risk.

Wiley

ByronBlack · 25 Mar 2007

If it helps I paid £70 for mine which is a Record No.7

TonyW · 25 Mar 2007

Paul / Woodbloke - Yes I am keeping my eye out for something older than this example.
Paul I have printed out your pics as a reminder for me when on my travels - you never know I may come accross a good example in a junk shop (oh! - should that be an antique shop). I agree about ebay being a bit of a lottery and would prefer to inspect before I buy.
Your point about the plane and what you want to do with it - not even considered that aspect - therefore given me further food for thought.

Wiley - Your notes on buying via ebay very helpful and just as valid in the UK - I have seen some of the examples re. good photos which have made me suspect (maybe unfairly!) of the sellers reasons.

Byron - Thanks did see your original post - and understand you are very happy with your buy.

Due to my workshop being used temporarily for storage I have some time before needing a new plane. Therefore my intentions is to keep an eye out for the "right" example of an old plane - however the call from Veritas is getting stronger and stronger! :wink:

Thanks for your help

Cheers

Tony