Plane ID

[Charles Taylor]

I bought this Fulton-badged plane many years ago at an antique store, and for most of the time since, it's sat in a drawer unused. Although I can't remember what I paid for it, I have no doubt I paid more than it's worth. C'est la vie. Once I got it out of the drawer and fiddled with it some, it didn't take much effort to make it work like a pretty good user.

405729
This plane is about the same length as my modern-day Stanley No. 4 but narrower. The iron is 1-3/4" wide.

I know Fulton was one of Sears, Roebuck & Co.'s brands during its heyday, and that Sargent made most of the Fulton-badged planes, but that Millers Falls made some as well. The only marking on the body of the plane is MADE IN USA under the depth adjustment knob. The marking on the iron didn't help, as it was stamped Stanley. That iron was used up, so I put a Hock in the plane.

405730

Here are some photos of the underside of the lever cap, the frog, and the sole. Perhaps someone can offer an idea who the real maker of this plane was.

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[steven c newman]

Sargent. There MAY be a "BL" and a number stamped into the left side of the base.

[Charles Taylor]

Thank you, Steven. No sign of anything stamped into the base.

[Phil Mueller]

Hello Charles, I don’t know who made your plane. But, don’t you folks get tired of the monotony of winning football games? :D

Being a parent of a Big10 school alumni, we just keep wondering what you feed those SEC kids.

[Charles Taylor]

Hello Charles, I don’t know who made your plane. But, don’t you folks get tired of the monotony of winning football games? :D

Being a parent of a Big10 school alumni, we just keep wondering what you feed those SEC kids.


We do grow 'em big here. :D

[Jim Koepke]

Howdy Charles,

The easiest way to tell the planes apart is most often the lateral adjusting lever.

Sargent had the 'whale tail' or folded end near the tote. Union and Ohio used a twisted end. Millers Falls had a single fold on the end.

Stanley used the 'tiller' style on the Bailey and Bedrock lines. These were also used on a few other planes they made for others. They also used a folded over end similar to Sargent and a twisted end similar to the Ohio or Union brands.

The Millers Falls planes made for Sears were often carried the Dunlap brand name.

The more upscale Sears Craftsman planes were made by who ever won the contract at the time.

jtk

[Mike Manning]

Howdy Charles,

The easiest way to tell the planes apart is most often the lateral adjusting lever.

Sargent had the 'whale tail' or folded end near the tote. Union and Ohio used a twisted end. Millers Falls had a single fold on the end.

Stanley used the 'tiller' style on the Bailey and Bedrock lines. These were also used on a few other planes they made for others. They also used a folded over end similar to Sargent and a twisted end similar to the Ohio or Union brands.

The Millers Falls planes made for Sears were often carried the Dunlap brand name.

The more upscale Sears Craftsman planes were made by who ever won the contract at the time.

jtk

Jim,
Is it known who won these contracts to make planes for Sears Craftsman and the periods they made them? I'm doubtful but asking for a friend! ;-)

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,
Is it known who won these contracts to make planes for Sears Craftsman and the periods they made them? I'm doubtful but asking for a friend! ;-)

Mike

Somebody might have the information, but not me. There may not even be old records at Sears for someone to research.

It is kind of like the Stanley/Bailey plane type studies. There had to be an interest by a lot of people to put it all together. The collectors of Craftsman branded planes are likely too few and are not that passionate about such information.

jtk

[J. Greg Jones]

Jim,
Is it known who won these contracts to make planes for Sears Craftsman and the periods they made them? I'm doubtful but asking for a friend! ;-)

Mike
A search for "craftsman tools manufacturer codes" may turn up some information that is helpful. I've seen a lot more Craftsman braces, eggbeaters, and push drills than I have Craftsman planes, but I believe most, if not all, of the tools made by Millers Falls for the Craftsman brand have a 'BB' code on them somewhere.

[don wilwol]

Sargent made that plane, probably out of the early Hercules line.

[Charles Taylor]

Howdy Charles,

The easiest way to tell the planes apart is most often the lateral adjusting lever.

Sargent had the 'whale tail' or folded end near the tote. Union and Ohio used a twisted end. Millers Falls had a single fold on the end.

Stanley used the 'tiller' style on the Bailey and Bedrock lines. These were also used on a few other planes they made for others. They also used a folded over end similar to Sargent and a twisted end similar to the Ohio or Union brands.

The Millers Falls planes made for Sears were often carried the Dunlap brand name.

The more upscale Sears Craftsman planes were made by who ever won the contract at the time.

jtk



Thank you, all. I finally found http://www.sargent-planes.com/sargent-plane-type-study/, which has a photo of a frog and lateral adjustment lever that matches mine under "Sargent later style frogs". And here's the end of the lever on mine:
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[don wilwol]

Because you're plane is from the Hercules line, that type study will not fit. I don't have my type study online yet, but it's in my book.

[Jim Koepke]

Here is an old image of different lateral levers:

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Not the best, my recollection it was made up from images found on the internet.

jtk

[Mike Manning]

Thanks for the response Jim, et al, I didn't mean to highjack Charles' thread.

[don wilwol]

https://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/01/26/quickly-identify-your-hand-plane/

[Mike Manning]

Don Thanks for the link and the info you've collected there! Lots of good info.

[Bill Houghton]

Walt Quadrato's excellent tutorial for field ID of planes based primarily on the lateral lever is archived on the Wayback Machine: http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/graphics/plane id.html

[Jim Koepke]

Walt Quadrato's excellent tutorial for field ID of planes based primarily on the lateral lever is archived on the Wayback Machine: http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/graphics/plane id.html

Bill, that link redirects to Huge Domains dot com (at least for me) and offers the site for sale.

So for others instead of working their way down the path through the wayback machine, try this:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130602042227/http://www.brasscityrecords.com/toolworks/graphics/plane%20id.html

A much better representation of what to observe to determine the likely maker of the lateral lever, thanks for the tip Bill.

jtk