Last Updated 2024-04-18
This is one is for the axe collectors. It's one of the least common and most desirable axes in the Plumb lineup. The story behind the cedar axe is well-documented. Plumb appears to have picked up the pattern in the 1930s. It is a specialized lightweight axe intended for cutting through the tough scrubby cedars in the Texas wilds. This example has seen little use. The bit has evidence of being honed a few times and the handle has some wear at the usual spot from missed strikes. The stamp is crystal clear. The handle is original. It has a tight check at the rear and the afore mentioned wear, both of which are clearly shown in the photos. It's a rare opportunity to acquire a nice example complete with its original handle. $275
This driver was made by Greenlee in Rockford, IL. It's essentially the same as the North Brothers no. 135 and can use the same bits. This model has a patented design that completely conceals the spiral shaft. It's in excellent working order. It works smoothly in both the forward and reverse directions. A good example of this scarce tool. $24
This is pretty much a "vintage" Lie-Nielsen plane likely dating to the mid-1990s. It has the original instruction sheet which was signed by Tom Lie-Nielsen himself. It's in excellent condition overall with little evidence of use. The bronze body has developed a lovely patina. The cherry knob is a deep red. A gorgeous example of this awesome plane. It retails for $450 new today but has been out of stock for some time with no estimate of when production will begin again. $350
This plane was made by Iles and sold by Tools for Woodworking years ago. It's no longer made which is a shame- it's a beautifully made tool. This example has seen little, if any, use at all. It has no damage or wear. It has its original box, instructions, and receipt. The original retail price was $995 in the year 2008 $700
This is an iconic, unique tool that is at once both easily recognizable and extremely hard to find. It is based on Richardson's April 14, 1885 patent. The idea is that the saw plate is less likely to heat during use, bind, or bend. I've only seen a two or three of these in 20+ years of collecting saws. This one has a near-perfect apple handle. The plate is dark with patina but the area around the etch has been cleaned and much of the language touting the saw's benefits is legible. A very rare chance to get one of these highly desirable saws for your collection. $395
This plane was made by John Weiss & Sons. It's a traditional European-style plow plane in terms of construction. It is in excellent working condition with no wear or damage. The screw threads are perfect. The depth stop works well. The problem with this style of plane is finding blades for it. The mortise is much wider than a typical American or British plow plane. A normal plow blade will fit in it, but it's hard for the wedge to hold them securely. I found four European plow blades that fit this plane well. of the blades are usable. This will make a solid working plow plane. $65
This is a high quality plow plane made by Mathieson in Ediuburgh. It has light wear and remains in excellent working condition. The arms are held in place with keyed wedges which lock and release easily. The depth stop works well. It comes with four blades which all fit this plane perfectly and are in clean, usable condition. It's a solid working plow plane. $79
This plane was made by Joseph Howel and documented by Goodman as working ca. 1770 in London. It is in exceptional condition for any molding plane, never mind a plane that's 250+ years old. It has a lovely patina, no damage, and only the lightest wear. Best of all, it's still completely usable with a nice long, clean blade. $55
This plane was made by Stothert and Walkter, planemakers in Bath working between 1842 and 1857. The plane is in exceptional condition, clean, crisp, and with little wear. The blade is near-perfect. It cuts a 7/16in high and wide ovolo, a desirable small size. This is an unusual, but useful small size. It will make an excellent worker. $45
This plane was made by W. Deeley, a London planemaking family who worked over three generations from 1788-1872. This example was made by William Deeley, likely between 1788-1826. It has an early look to it for a London plane. It's in excellent condition with minimal wear. The blade is long and clean. It cuts a simple 1/2in radius cove. It will make an excellent worker. $35
This plane was made by Richard Nelson in London between 1824-1852. It cuts a small 3/8in bead, which is ideal for case and cabinet work. This is a high-quality British slipped side bead plane in excellent working order. The blade is clean. The boxing is dead straight. An excellent worker. $30
This plane was made by Onions & Co., a Birmingham toolmaker operating from 1894-1904. This plane has the company's "Warranted Cast Steel" mark which doesn't make much sense for a wooden plane. It's a well-made plane in excellent working order. It's straight and has a good working corner. The blade is especially clean. It's a good working example in a desirable size. $35
This plane has no maker's mark, just owner's marks. It looks early 20th century British to me, maybe Marples. It's decent quality, usable but nowhere near the peak of British quality. It has a decent blade with plenty of life left. It's a decent, usable plane but straight rabbet planes aren't common. $28
This is a pre-war plane, likely made at the end of the SW era based on the blade logo and lever cap style. The rosewood knob and tote are perfect. The adjusters are smooth. There is discoloration on the sides and sole including an interesting pattern on the sole. There's no rust or pitting though and the plane could be polished up to shiny if you prefer. The japanning is near-perfect. The blade has a lot of life left. A solid worker. $65
This plane fits somewhere between a smoother and a scrub based on the size. The blade is only 1 5/8in wide. It's a tapered, laminated single iron made by Goldenberg. The plane was made by John Weiss and Sohn in Germany. It just needs a slight camber ground on the blade, and it will make an excellent scrub plane. $30
This is a Ken Roberts reprint which includes a history of the company on the inside covers. It contains the tools made by both companies shortly after they merged. This includes C-S full line of rules and Chapin's line of planes. It's 84 pages and in very good condition. An excellent reference. $15
This plane was made by Moseely in London between 1862 and 1880. It cuts a flat ovolo profile about 1/2in wide by 1/4in deep. It's a top-quality plane in excellent condition. It has little wear, a tight mouth, and a very clean blade. The small flat ovolo is a very useful general-purpose profile well suited to decorating the edge of a shelf, table top, etc. It is a very nice working example of the best quality. $35
This plane was made by Moseely in London between 1838-1861. It cuts a flat ovolo profile about 1/2in wide by 1/4in deep. It's a top-quality plane in excellent condition. It has little wear, a tight mouth, and a very clean blade. The small flat ovolo is a very useful general-purpose profile that is well suited to decorating the edge of a shelf, table top, etc. It is a very nice working example of the best quality. $35
This plane was made by Marples in Sheffield. It's seen some use and has light wear, but it's still absolutely usable. The boxing is straight and the blade is quite clean. The 1/4in size is always in high demand and is one of the most popular today. A good working example by this well-respected maker. $28
This is a top-quality plane made by Routledge in Birmingham, England. It has some light wear but remains in excellent working order. The body is dead straight. The mouth is tight, and the working corner is free of wear. It has a nice long, clean blade. It will make an excellent worker with a minimum of effort required to tune it up. $35
This is an American wedge-arm plow plane made by John Bell in Philadelphia. It's in good working condition. The wedges lock the arms easily. The screw-lock depth stop works perfectly. It has a long chip under the rear arm which does not affect the plane's operation. It comes with four blades in different sizes, all of which fit this plane perfectly. An inexpensive, usable plow plane. $65
This chisel was made by William Brady in Mt. Joy, PA, between 1843-1868. It's clearly an early edge tool with a hand-forged socket. It's a massive tool, nearly 17 inches long overall, with a thick, stout blade. The bevels are in good shape and free of damage. The backs are reasonably clean, much better than most I see. The handle is exceptional and perfect. Absolutely usable. $40
This is a top-quality American edge tool made by Charles Buck in Millbury, MA. It's 1 1/4in wide and an impressive 18in long overall. The blade is thick with a sturdy socket intended for hard use. This is an outside bevel gouge. The inside face is clean and free of pitting. These stout, extra-long gouges were usually called millwright's gouges in the catalogs. I've seen only a few this long. $35
This is a very useful 1/2in wide by 3/8in deep ovolo molding plane made by Preston in Birmingham. It's in excellent condition with minimal wear and a clean blade. The body is straight and the mouth is tight. The size is perfect for decorating or breaking the edge of a shelf, table top, or similar. It's an excellent working molding plane. $40
The 5/16in bead is somewhat hard to find but very useful, fitting in nicely between the 1/4 and 3/8 sizes ideal for case and cabinet work. This one was made by Greenslade in Bristol. It's in very good condition overall with some light wear. It has good boxing and a long, clean blade. A solid worker in a useful size. $28
This plane was made by King and Peach in Hull between 1848-1864. It's a high-quality plane in excellent working order. The blade is clean and still has the proper grind to match the sole. It cuts a near square 1/2in wide by 1/2in deep ovolo with a fillet. The plane is in excellent condition with minimal wear. The wedge has a little bit of roughness but no damage. It will make a great worker, $40
This plane is marked "F. CLARK" which I believe is Francis Clark, documented as a Bristolm, England planemaker ca. 1807. It certainly has the look of a late 18th-century molding plane with its broad, flat chamfers and rounded step. It cuts a 3/4in ovolo profile. It has light wear but no damage. $40
This is a high-quality micrometer in excellent working order. It was made for Craftsman and has the "DC" maker code. I have conflicting information on this one. It could have been made by Mitutoyo or Central Tool Co. Either way, it's an inexpensive high-precision micrometer with a ratchet stop. $20
This plane was made in London by Buck & Co., predecessor to Buck and Hickman. This example has the 281 Whitechapel address which dates to 1842-1893. It's a high quality plane in excellent working order. The boxing is perfect. The blade is long and clean. It's an excellent worker in a useful medium size. $26
This plane was made by Simms of London between 1813 and 1834. It's in excellent condition but it's seen a lot of use. The blade is on the short side and the wedge has minor wear from a hammer. Otherwise, it's crisp, clean, and in excellent working order. It's a useful 1/2in size for case and cabinet work. $24
This plane was made by the Blum Tool Co. of Walnut, IA. The plane has an innovative frog design that is unique to this maker. This is their no. 5 jack plane equipped with an A2 blade. It includes an additional blade and the sharpening jig. Retail price is $340 new today. $290
This mortise chisel was made by the highly esteemed W. Butcher in Sheffield. It's 15.5in long overall. It has a thick, laminated blade with a clean back, free of pitting. The handle has some light wear and is perfectly usable. It's a rare chance to get a mortise chisel by this highly desirable maker. $45
This is a huge socket chisel with a stout blade. It measures 16in long overall. It has a clean blade, free of pitting on the back. The oversized socket handle is in excellent condition with minimal wear. It was made by Pliny Merrill in Hinsdale, NH likely between 1844-1869. The Merrills were a tool making dynasty for nearly a century in and around the New Hampshire area. CE Jennings eventually acquired the brand through mergers ca. 1901 and sold some chisels under the Merrill name but this is an early example, definitely predating Jennings. It's a great American edge tool $45
This is the 1966/3 edition, and very good condition. The dust jacket has minor wear. It provides a fascinating insight into the history of tools dating back to the pre-Roman time. It's apparently quite hard to find these days based in the high prices used the copies are selling for in the usual online marketplaces $40
The Carpenter Steel Company of Reading, PA sold high grade steels and wire of all sorts. This is perhaps the most beautifully printed period catalog I've come across. It has gilded edges and full color illustrations including some mysteriously sparkling examples of their steel labels. 254 pages, very good condition with minor wear. $24
540 pages. Hardcover. Very good condition with minor wear. The scope and depth of drawing, drafting, and measuring tools is astonishing. The company was founded in 1867 and based in Hoboken, NJ. An excellent period catalog- check out the samples of the various types of paper they sold and their uses. $25
this chisel was made by Greenlee in Rockford, IL. It's a typical bevel-edge chisel with find lands but a slightly thicker cross-section near the socket. Most remarkably it's 15in long overall. It's in great shape, free of pitting on the back and fitted with an excellent original handle. A bit of a mystery this one. $30
This mark is recorded in Eliot's Guide to American Wooden Planes V. This is almost certainly the example described in the book. It's marked TILDEN which Eliot attributes to possibly John Tilden, a cabinetmaker in Bridgewater, MA ca. 1800-1820. The plane has the distinct appearance of a late 18th or early 19th century plane, especially it was made in a rural area that wasn't keeping up with modern planemaking fashion trends. It has heavy round chamfers, relativly short arms, and blunted arms, all of which are seen on 18th century planes. The plane sis til in good working order, showing only some light wear. One wedge has had its finial chipped off, but still works well. The depth stop is still fully functional. A nice early plane . $65
This is a good usable example of the famous Stanley Everlast. It's recently honed and very sharp. The back is lapped flat and clean, a blessing for these super-hard chisels. It's on the short side- 6 5/8in long overall. There is minor damage to the wood part of the handle. It's a solid user example. $30
This is a nice example of a rare saw. The Jones cable saw was patented Feb 8. 1898 by Arthur Jones. It was made byt he Crary Machine Works in Chicago and sold by E.C. Atkins. This saw attempts to solve the problem of keeping the blade from twisting when it is adjusted. It uses a cable- which is connected to gears on both sides. When one side is rotated the cable spins the opposing gear the same distance keeping the blade straight. That's the theory. In reality there's a reason these saws are rare. This one is fully strung and in very good to excellent condition. $55
This catalog is 545 pages and in very good condition with only light wear. Starrett catalogs make great references in large part because they show many of the tools in use. I find this helpful because it can be hard to picture use cases for some of the more esoteric machinists tools . $10
This is a typical Ohio plane, not the best quality but it'll work, especially if you choose the right stock. It cuts a small 1/4in bead, a very popular profile. It has some light wear but nothing that will prevent it from working. the blade is especially clean. A solid worker, nothing collectible at all. $24
This is a super cool, hand-forged corner chisel made of iron with a forge-welded steel business end. It's unmarked and well made. It could be made usable again without too much work.. it doesn't have a lot of pitting on the back. It looks very similar to the forged corner chisel I listed at the same time, though without maker's marks I can't prove they were made by the same smith. I think it has a great look to it and is definitely something unique. $24
This chisel was made by Dunlap and Madeira which is documented in the EAIA DAT as working ca. 1831-33 in Chambersburg, PA. This chisel is 24in long overall. The blade is incredibly long and surprisingly thin considering the length. It's also especially clean without a speck of pitting on the back. I'm sure it was made for some specific purpose but I can't tell you what that purpose was. It's certainly interesting. $45
This is a Lufkin no. 626 6ft folding rule intended for steamfitters and plumbers. One side is graduated in inches. The other is graduated in red and shows inches scaled for 45 degree elbows used in plumbing. Essentially it calculates the hypotenuse of a right triangle by measuring one leg rather than directly measuring it which could be tricky. I think it's a really interesting tool, if a bit specialized. This example is in excellent, unused condition with a little bit of discoloration on one leg from sitting in a box for decades. $20
This 386 page catalog is in Fair condition. The front cover and first six pages are not in good condition. The remaining pages are all in great shape. It contains Starrett's full line of machinists tools along with illustrations and descriptions of how the tools are used. An invaluable reference. $5
This is the full 104 page second edition in excellent condition. It includes a full listing of all the planes Sargent made- and they made a lot of them. It also has a type study, box label study, and other information on the company. An excellent reference for anyone interested in Sargent. $24
This is the full 104 page second edition in excellent condition. It includes a full listing of all the planes Sargent made- and they made a lot of them. It also has a type study, box label study, and other information on the company. An excellent reference for anyone interested in Sargent. $24
This is one of the few Peck, Stowe, and Wilcox catalogs you'll find, and the only one I know of that concentrates solely on hand tools and mostly woodworking tools. It's 96 pages and has PEXTO's fun line of braces, edge tools, layout tools, etc. It's an excellent reference to this company's top quality hand tools $20
68 pages, new condition. This is one of the earlier and harder to find Sandusky catalogs. Sandusky was one of the largest plane and toolmakers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They made all sorts of tools including many of the planes sold by Sargent. An excellent reference. $20
This is a fascinating catalog to have in your library- C.E. Jennings doesn't get much mention these days but they made a huge number of high quality tools including braces, bits, chisels and drawknives, some amazing saws, and truly incredible too chests and boxes. 176 pages. Very good condition. $20
80 pages, softcover, excellent condition. This is a somewhat important reference as United Hardware and Tool was a major reseller in the early 20th century. They sold many tools under the "Fulton" name brand. This brand is frequently associated with Sears but this catalog suggests at least some of these tools were sold by United instead. They sold a full line of tools of all sorts including many German wooden planes sold under the Columbia brand name. It's a somewhat hard catalog to find today, and very useful. $15