Heirloom woodworking tools

[Mark Newberry]

I have some heirloom woodworking tools that I have been assigned to keep or sell. I don't know their value. They belonged to my wife's grandfather, who taught woodworking in Massachusetts between 1930 - 1950 (approximately). Can anyone estimate their value? They appear to be in very good condition.
Here is what I have.

Set of 4 crank-type hand drills. One is stamped "Goodell Pratt Co. Toolsmiths, patent 1896". All 4 have red cranks; and, due to slight differences, I suspect that there are 2 different manufacturers.

There are 4 brace-type hand drills. One is a Stanley #923 10-inch and another is a Goodell Pratt Co. # 2510. I'm not sure of the other two.

There are auger bits and expansive bits. One fairly large set of auger bits in a canvas case appears to be made from high-quality steel.

There are a number of handplanes in very good condition. These are Stanley planes, including a #3, #4, three # 5's, two #6's, a #7, a cool # 78 (shoulder plane that converts to a bull-nose plane and has an attachable straight edge-guide), and a (small) # 102.

[Michael Schwartz]

Welcome to the creek Mark


I have some heirloom woodworking tools that I have been assigned to keep or sell. I don't know their value. They belonged to my wife's grandfather, who taught woodworking in Massachusetts between 1930 - 1950 (approximately). Can anyone estimate their value? Anyone interested in buying them? They appear to be in very good condition.
Here is what I have.

Set of 4 crank-type hand drills. One is stamped "Goodell Pratt Co. Toolsmiths, patent 1896". All 4 have red cranks; and, due to slight differences, I suspect that there are 2 different manufacturers.


There are 4 brace-type hand drills. One is a Stanley #923 10-inch and another is a Goodell Pratt Co. # 2510. I'm not sure of the other two.

There are auger bits and expansive bits. One fairly large set of auger bits in a canvas case appears to be made from high-quality steel.

Good auger bits are worth some money, Any names such as Jennings, Irwin?

There are a number of handplanes in very good condition. These are Stanley planes, including a #3, #4, three # 5's, two #6's, a #7, a cool # 78 (shoulder plane that converts to a bull-nose plane and has an attachable straight edge-guide), and a (small) # 102.


Depending on the age and the condition of the Stanley's, they could be worth some money. You might want to hold onto them, keep them in the family, possibly for a future generation that wants to get into woodworking.

I have My grandfathers Stanley #4, which his brother, a cabinet maker tuned to perfection.

If you do sell them, internet action site such as Ebay is a good way.

If they are in either extremely good condition (like new) or fall into certain type categories they can be worth subsantialy more than your common run of the mill user.

Here is a link to a good site on Planes, and it has a resource for dating
them.

General Info

https://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/planes101/planes101.htm

For dating

https://home.comcast.net/~rexmill/planes101/typing/typing.htm

Info on every plane Stanley ever made courtesy of Pat Leach.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

[Mark Newberry]

I greatly appreciate the information. Most of the auger bits are made by Russell Jennings.

The saws are old but sharp. The planes appear to be well-tuned and sharp. A few have minor defects. None look brand-new, but have obviously been maintained by a craftsman. He had a great passion for woodworking and built several homes using only hand tools (no power tools). I suspect that he sharpened his own tools. We have a few beautiful pieces of furniture that he built around 1930.

Thanks again.

[Gary Herrmann]

If I were you, I'd keep them. However, you should have no trouble selling them here or on the bay. Good luck with your decision.

[Joe Meazle]

I like Millers falls stuff so I would bintrested in the Goodell Pratt Co. stuff and I am looking for some bitts too. Let me know if you sell.

I have some woodworkers in my family history but not many tools to make the connection so If they were mine I would hang on to them.

[Michael Schwartz]

I greatly appreciate the information. Most of the auger bits are made by Russell Jennings.

The saws are old but sharp. The planes appear to be well-tuned and sharp. A few have minor defects. None look brand-new, but have obviously been maintained by a craftsman. He had a great passion for woodworking and built several homes using only hand tools (no power tools). I suspect that he sharpened his own tools. We have a few beautiful pieces of furniture that he built around 1930.

Thanks again.

If he built a few houses, and fine furniture, he new how to sharpen his own tools. It really isn't hard to do.

Are the saws made by Diston? Diston made some of the finest handsaws out there. Saws with Rip teeth will bring a premium as they are not as common as crosscut saws.

The Russell Jennings Auger bits are some of the best ever made. They bring a premium over other brands.

Auger bits, combined with a brace is still the prefered method amongst most chair makers for drilling holes at compound angles. You can easily have all the holes drilled, before you could set up a drill press, as it is easy to guide the bit, buy aligning it aginst a bevel gauge.

Since the bits are high carbon steel, filed with an auger bit file, they will take a good edge, and because they are self feeding (the screw at the tip) they cut very fast with little effort. I have drilled 1 inch wide holes through 8x8 timbers almost as fast as my cordless drill

You might want to keep this lot in the family, It would bring at the very least several hundred dollars on Ebay, but you never know if a future generation of the family will get into woodworking and knowing they had an ancestor in the craft wondering what happened to his tools.

[Jim Nardi]

Do the tools and your family tree a favour and build a chest for them. Put a nice little letter inside the box of where they came from and his history. I'm sure the wife will bring up you selling the tools at some later date. For the few bucks your going to get it's not worth selling.

[Michael Schwartz]

In terms of what they are worth, they will be worth far more to a future woodworker in the family someday. If you need cash, you can allwayse sell them in the future. However, as these are not made anymore, their value will only increase overtime.

Adding to the idea of the chest, why don't you use some of the tools to make one?

[Ed Garrett]

Hey Mark,

I had a feeling you'd get some good advice here. I tend to agree with them.

Sincerely,

Ed.