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Randy Klein
05-18-2008, 5:14 PM
I recently bought an old wooden jointer (26") plane at a garage sale.
88829

I was cleaning it off to find any identifying marks and need some help.

Here is a pic of the front. There is a clearly marked 27 (upside down in the pic). And on top is some word and then Works. It looks '1010', but that doesn't make sense.
88826

The iron is an impressive 3/16" thick, 2-3/4" wide with lots of life left. It has a mark on it that says "W.Butcher Warranted Cast Steel". It says the same thing on the cap iron, but smaller.
88827
88828

Any ideas on the maker? Google searching has come up lame.
Clint Jones
05-18-2008, 5:53 PM
The plane mark should read "Scioto Works". Scioto Works is a trade mark name used by Ohio Tool Company at Auburn N.Y. or Columbus OH. plants. No.27 is most likely the number to the jointer assigned by the Ohio Tool Co.
Randy Klein
05-18-2008, 5:58 PM
Wow, that was fast. I went back out to look at it again and it definitely does look like it says that. Thanks. My wife likes these planes for decoration and I'm always interested in the history.
Mike Henderson
05-18-2008, 6:00 PM
Just a comment about wooden planes - many wooden plane makers (most???) bought their irons from some maker. So the name on the iron often has nothing to do with the name on the plane body. Yours is a good example of that.

Mike
Randy Klein
05-18-2008, 6:04 PM
Just a comment about wooden planes - many wooden plane makers (most???) bought their irons from some maker. So the name on the iron often has nothing to do with the name on the plane body. Yours is a good example of that.

Mike

I figured that was the case but included the pics anyways since electrons are cheap.
James Mittlefehldt
05-19-2008, 9:22 AM
Yes Ohio Tool made a jointer in that size that looks very much like yours, and I agree with Clint that it is probably them. They were sold as #27 in three sizes 26, 28 and 30 inch lengths, for $1.80, $1.90 and $2.10 respectivly in 1910 dollars. Probably more than you wanted to know but there you are.

One interesting thing I encountered though, and that was Sandusky tools made a virtually identical plane and it also was a number 27, so my question to those more knowledgeable than I, was there some sort of standardized numbering system for wood planes as well as metal?