Wooden Plane Identification

[D Smith]

Hi - this is my first post on this web site - I'm really impressed with all the knowledge and camaraderie between the members. I've just inherited my great grandfather's tool box and have run into an plane I can't identify - can someone help?

Thanks,
Dave Smith

Old Plane 1.jpg

Old Plane 2.jpg

Old Plane 3.jpg

[Robert Rozaieski]

Looks like a cooper's howel, used for creating a flat area inside the barrel or bucket before using the croze to form the groove to hold the top and/or bottom.

[D Smith]

Thanks Bob,

The bottom of the plane has a radius on the bottom - convex curve

[Chuck Nickerson]

In that case, it's probably a crozier's plane for making the groove the top and bottom fit into.

[george wilson]

Yes,it is a croze. We made most of the planes our coopers use in he museum. It makes the groove that the heads of the barrel fits into.

[Stephen Reid]

I hate to disagree, but Robert is right.Its a howel.Look at the width of the iron.A croze cuts a much narrower groove for the head of the barrel to fit in.

[Jon Toebbe]

I hate to disagree, but Robert is right.Its a howel.Look at the width of the iron.A croze cuts a much narrower groove for the head of the barrel to fit in.

Though from the look of it, the fence is adjustable for a narrow or wide cut. I'm not familiar with coopers' terminology, but it sounds like a narrow rabbet (or fillister 'cause it's cross-grain?) cut on the inside of a barrel is a croze, and a wide one is a howel? Are we even speaking English anymore?

[Robert Rozaieski]

Though from the look of it, the fence is adjustable for a narrow or wide cut. I'm not familiar with coopers' terminology, but it sounds like a narrow rabbet (or fillister 'cause it's cross-grain?) cut on the inside of a barrel is a croze, and a wide one is a howel? Are we even speaking English anymore?

The croze cuts a groove for the top and bottom of the barrel or bucket. It's similar to a router plane, with a narrow iron projecting below the "sole" to cut the groove.


The, howel on the other hand has a plane type iron and is used to level the staves and create a level, flat area inside the rims of the barrel prior to using the croze.


They look similar as they have basically the same fence, however, the cutter is different as they perform different tasks. The howel is used first to level the staves. The croze is used after to make the groove.

[David Keller NC]

Hi - this is my first post on this web site - I'm really impressed with all the knowledge and camaraderie between the members. I've just inherited my great grandfather's tool box and have run into an plane I can't identify - can someone help?

Thanks,
Dave Smith

That's a fairly collectable plane. Cooper's tools are not all that common in the first place, and ones in good shape with the original iron are hotly competed for at tool auctions. If you wish to preserve its collector's value, do not clean it - even a little.

[george wilson]

You know,I didn't look closely enough at that plane! I just noticed the round shape,and assumed it was a croze!