Ever hear of plane maker "I. Cox"?

[Frederick Skelly]

I was at an antique store and bought what I think is a 1/4" DADO PLANE. He was asking $15 and I bought it for $13. I thought that might still be a llittle high, but bought it because I havent run across one before. The heel is neatly stamped "I COX" in very small type and both the heel and one side are more sloppily stamped "E.J. DUTTON" in larger type. I think I. Cox is the maker's mark.

The wood is in nearly perfect condition. The cutting iron looks hand forged, but has a great deal of pitting beginning about half an inch above the bevel. The wedge and the mortise are both very clean. About an inch in front of the cutting iron is a second iron mounted vertically - its ground to provide nickers. The nicker blade is almost perfect and its ground to tightly bracket the cutting iron.

Does anyone know anything about this maker? The only reference Ive found was on Lumberjocks, speculating that I. Cox was an early 19th Century maker.

Thanks guys!
Fred

[Jim Koepke]

Not sure about the maker nor what part of the world in which you happen to be located.

In the early 19th century there were likely a lot of people who made planes. Some as a main source of income, others maybe as a sideline when other work was scarce.

Except with migration of a tools owner many tools didn't travel far from where they were made. This is why folks in the east have more luck finding old tools at the different venues than do us out here in the wild and wooly west.

BTW, pictures always help.

jtk

[Mel Miller]

Pollak doesn't list an I. Cox maker. May not be a maker's mark, as they are normally found on the toe of the plane and include a location.

[Don McConnell]

The heel is an unusual location for a maker's mark, as they are typically found on the toe. However. "I. COX" (John Cox) is a known British plane maker located in Birmingham. According to Goodman's third edition of _British Planemakers from 1700_, known working dates are from 1770 until 1843. Goodman also indicates that the firm's name was "John Cox & Sons" from about 1809 to 1812, and surmises there may have been two generations of John Cox plane makers during this tenure. The presence of one mark showing "I Cox/IUN would seem to support this. The business was ultimately taken over by James Jarvis.

There was a later British John Cox plane maker as well, but he marked his planes with "John Cox/Warranted," or simply "Cox/Warranted."

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for giving me a hand guys!
Fred

Edit: Looking at it again, I realize that I misspoke - I. Cox IS stamped on the toe, not the heel. Interestingly, the stamp is upside down. That is, you have to turn it so the cutting edge is upward, then the name is on two lines like this:

I
COX

The "I" is centered above the "O" and it doesnt show any place of origin.

So if this is a makers mark and not a previous owners name, this tool has survived 150+ years in this kind of shape? Wow. I almost feel guilty using it. I'll have to be especially careful with this tool. Again, thank you all!

[Zach Dillinger]

303071

I have one plane with an I Cox mark. It looks to me to be late 18th century, with flat chamfers, round wedge finial, etc. This one started out life as a small hollow or round, but was modified to be some sort of very small coping plane.