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Malcolm Schweizer
08-15-2021, 11:54 AM
My good friend passed away, leaving behind over a thousand planes. Yes, over a thousand. I have agreed to help his wife catalog them and identify values. I have one here that I知 stumped on. It is clearly a production casting. It痴 metal bodied with a cast-in-body frog, but a wood infill behind that. The tote and front knob are screwed from the bottom and screw is ground flush. Iron is I Sorby, but we all know those things get swapped over the years.

Sadly, these boxes I知 going through today were in his shop that was damaged in hurricane Irma, and they are rusted. The papers they are wrapped in are dated 1989, so they have been there a while. Many of them the paper is stuck to the metal.

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Malcolm Schweizer
08-15-2021, 12:34 PM
An idea of what I知 dealing with. Box after box. Amidst a box of common moulding planes, you find a lignum vitae coffin smoother.

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Christopher Charles
08-16-2021, 2:47 PM
Hi Malcolm,


You've spoken here of your friend and his collection in the past I believe. Regardless, I'm sorry to hear of his passing and the loss to you and his family. I'm of no help with the planes I'm afraid, but know that I'll be cheering you on as you undertake the noble task.

Best,
Chris
Joshua Lucas
08-17-2021, 12:00 PM
It looks very similar to the early American metal plane that Joel Moskovitz recently posted about. (https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/1172/title/National%20Priorities%20in%20Early%20Metal%20%20Pl anemaking)
Malcolm Schweizer
08-17-2021, 12:09 PM
It looks very similar to the early American metal plane that Joel Moskovitz recently posted about. (https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/1172/title/National%20Priorities%20in%20Early%20Metal%20%20Pl anemaking)

Wow, thanks. That is the plane except a different handle. This helps a lot.
Joshua Lucas
08-18-2021, 12:47 PM
Yours is a little different other than the tote, most notably the curvier casting. From Joel's post it sounds like there were several manufacturers who used Knowles' design and probably added their own flourishes, most of whom are probably lost to history.
Mike Allen1010
08-18-2021, 3:12 PM
Wow Malcolm this seems like a great treasure hunt! I wish you all the best with your discovery. Would love to see what treasures you might run across.

Best, Mike