Stanley #81 Cabinet Scraper.

[Patrick Chase]

Stanley Model Shop Beech and Rosewood Wood Bottom Planes

[pictures snipped]

Since you've quoted Patrick Leach as an authoritative source in this thread (post #10) let's see what he has to say about those Stanley transitionals...

"worth obtaining to practice your restoration skills"

Hmm, that doesn't sound so positive, but maybe if we go further...

"A certain plane sect, located in the northeast, practices a bizarre and ritualistic ceremony where transitional planes are set aflame a la a funeral pyre. Whether it's in homage to Leonard Bailey, to appease the spirit of Justus Traut, or is symbolic of the sect's mission in life to turn old tools into cash, no one knows for certain. Regardless, it's a sight to behold, and not to be missed, given the opportunity to witness a Trans-Ferno immolation in person."

Uh oh. But maybe...

"Burn... Baby... Burn... Transitional... Inferno"

Well, there you have it: Suitable for practice and immolation.

[Rob Luter]

Why to these threads always seem to deteriorate into a pissing match?

[Joe Bailey]

Why to these threads always seem to deteriorate into a pissing match?

The answer: low self-esteem

[Patrick Chase]

The answer: low self-esteem

Nah, I just really like Leach's "transitional immolation" gag, and strive to refer to it whenever possible.

FWIW, my actual opinion is what I said a few posts back: The wood mostly doesn't care. If you like the feel of wood on wood more power to you. I like the feel of my wooden jointer, but I don't think it leaves better results and I wouldn't tell anybody using a metal jointer that the wooden ones are better or they're doing it wrong.

[Pete Taran]

Patrick,

Leach is not kidding about immolation. Back in the early to mid 90s, when the interwebs were still on training wheels, a number of us would gather in New Hampshire to attend Crane's Auction. There were many such auctions, all dedicated to old tools. It was a grand time. The auction was always on a Saturday, and folks would show up before light to tailgate, and then attend the auction. I usually bought more tools in the parking lot than I ever did at the Auction. It was a lot of fun.

Once per year, there was a multiday event that started on Fridays and went into Saturday. In the evening on Friday, after the tool trading died down and darkness fell, we would start a fire and drink adult libations and talk about oldtools. During one such event, Leach had a bunch of transitional planes that he bought in a lot with stuff he wanted. The transitional planes were junk, 1/2" mouths and busted hardware. In the evening embers and as the fire was dying, Patrick decided it would be a great service to add the transitionals to the pyre to prolong the event. That was how that business got started. As the years went by, it devolved into more and more exotic events, culminating with even touching off an anvil with blackpowder. If you have never witnessed a 150# anvil fly 25 feet in the air and land where it may, you are not living dangerously enough.

Such as it was until Cranes went out of business and the event ended. Those were, the good old days, to be sure.

[Stewie Simpson]

I think some of you guys have missed the point on why I included the article by Paul Van Pernis on Transitional Planes.

Leonard Bailey started making wood bottom planes in late 1868 just about a year prior to the time he sold his business to Stanley. Bailey was trying to reach those craftsmen who preferred a wood bodied plane but who also recognized the advantages of his adjustment mechanism and his thin parallel cutter.

http://eaiainfo.org/2015/03/14/stanl...bottom-planes/

This is a nickel plated and fancier version of the #80. It has a captive pivoting lever cap that is activated by a thumb screw to secure the blade into place. The scraper has a rosewood sole screwed to the bottom with four screws, one each near the corners of the sole. This was offered for the finest scraping, where wood on wood is thought to be preferable by some.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan10.htm#numu81