Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 30

Thread: Help with Tool Identification?

  1. #1

    Help with Tool Identification?

    Hey all.

    Can you help me identify these handtools I'm going to look at tomorrow? I know the handplane, the various squares, and the pliers. What are the other tools and their uses?

    Also, any idea what this lot would be worth? The guy wants to sell them all, and I have no idea what to offer. Thanks!

    tools.jpg

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    664
    There’s a hand brace, single size tenon cutter (for use in the brace), various bevel gauges, a saw vise, at least one (maybe two) hand vise, and possibly a putty knife. What’s it worth? Depends on condition and whether you can use this stuff, but I wouldn’t offer more than $75, and then only if the planes are complete and the saw vise is functional and without any welded repairs.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Rosenthal View Post
    There’s a hand brace, single size tenon cutter (for use in the brace), various bevel gauges, a saw vise, at least one (maybe two) hand vise, and possibly a putty knife. What’s it worth? Depends on condition and whether you can use this stuff, but I wouldn’t offer more than $75, and then only if the planes are complete and the saw vise is functional and without any welded repairs.

    Thank you. What is that black piece with the Japanning on the bottom right?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    664
    That’s what I thought might be a second hand vise, but I’m looking at the photo on my phone and can’t be certain. Perhaps someone else will chime in with something more concrete.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    32
    The tool that resembles pliers on the top right appears to be for punching holes in leather.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by freiler thompson View Post
    The tool that resembles pliers on the top right appears to be for punching holes in leather.
    It also looks to be broken.

    Not enough detail to see exactly what the tool on the bottom right is. It looks like it could be a saw wrest for setting teeth on timber saws. It could also be some kind of kitchen tool.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Lafayette, Indiana
    Posts
    1,378
    The Metal hand plane appears to be a Stanley. Assuming it is a number 4 in good condition, I think it and the saw vice, assuming in good condition together are worth $100. You aren’t paying shipping and I assume you are not paying sales tax. Are you buying these because you need them/have a use for them or to resell? If you enjoy “shopping” for old tools, I don’t know that $100 is a great buy for the lot, but if you are in the market for a smoother and a saw vice, it isn’t a terrible deal. The brace is some what of a wild card. It might be a fun tool to have in your collection, but will you ever use it? Bits are hard to come by and if you have a Miller’s Falls Egg Beater in good condition and a decent standard metal brace will you ever use this? As a novelty piece, I’ve seen these in antique malls priced $25-$75.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Joe A Faulkner View Post
    The Metal hand plane appears to be a Stanley. Assuming it is a number 4 in good condition, I think it and the saw vice, assuming in good condition together are worth $100. You aren’t paying shipping and I assume you are not paying sales tax. Are you buying these because you need them/have a use for them or to resell? If you enjoy “shopping” for old tools, I don’t know that $100 is a great buy for the lot, but if you are in the market for a smoother and a saw vice, it isn’t a terrible deal. The brace is some what of a wild card. It might be a fun tool to have in your collection, but will you ever use it? Bits are hard to come by and if you have a Miller’s Falls Egg Beater in good condition and a decent standard metal brace will you ever use this? As a novelty piece, I’ve seen these in antique malls priced $25-$75.
    Thanks.

    I'm starting my first wood shop to mess around with the free time during Covid. I have very little training with wood, and I'm teaching myself as I go (so far so good!).
    So they'd be for use. Though, if the entire lot is a good deal I'd even buy the ones I didn't need. I just don't even know what a few of them are.
    I am going to meet the guy in a few minutes and have a look. I want the squares and plane for sure if they're in decent shape.
    I was hoping to be more educated on the rest, but we shall see what happens!

  9. #9
    I purchased everything in the photo for $100. The plane is actually a Marsh - I never heard of them. It appears to be a No. 3 or so...smaller than my No. 4 plane.

    Does anyone know about them? They belonged to this fellow's great grandfather, and he was born in 1865, so everything is quite old.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    664
    Well John, you may have purchased a mini treasure chest. H.C. Marsh planes are very rare, somewhat collectible and, if in good condition, command a decent price (2-3x what you paid for the whole lot). A friend of mine has a Marsh Miter Vise, similar to the Stanley 400 that I have. I believe Stanley bought the company sometime in the mid to late 1920s.

    I’m wondering if the partially pictured thing on the far right is the tool chest that housed this stuff. If it is it might be worth quite a bit as well.

    At any rate, this discovery makes the other two planes much more interesting. Keep us posted on the other items once you’ve had a chance to examine them.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Rosenthal View Post
    Well John, you may have purchased a mini treasure chest. H.C. Marsh planes are very rare, somewhat collectible and, if in good condition, command a decent price (2-3x what you paid for the whole lot). A friend of mine has a Marsh Miter Vise, similar to the Stanley 400 that I have. I believe Stanley bought the company sometime in the mid to late 1920s.

    I’m wondering if the partially pictured thing on the far right is the tool chest that housed this stuff. If it is it might be worth quite a bit as well.

    At any rate, this discovery makes the other two planes much more interesting. Keep us posted on the other items once you’ve had a chance to examine them.
    Thanks. That's good to hear, though I think I will keep most of what I bought. I had no idea about Marsh.

    When I saw it has brass screws and given the year his great grandfather was born I figured t must be very old. It's very nice and clean other than there is a crack in the handle that's been repaired at some point, so I'm sure that dings it a bit.

    The tool chest they all came in was his great grandfather's, and he wanted to keep that, which I of course approved of and he took that.
    Last edited by John Serna; 02-28-2021 at 2:40 PM.

  12. #12
    Here are some images of what I think are the best tools and the condition. Two of the three bevel squares look to be ebony and brass, which is nice. The T squares can use restoration. I think those antique planes are rabbet planes? They don't seem to be worth much, and one is broken. The saw vice says no. 103 on it, which from my research suggests it's made by Seargant. What do you think of the condition of the plane? How big a deal is the crack in the handle?


    Try Square.jpgBevel Square.jpgplane2.jpgplane1.jpgplane3.jpgRabbet Plane.jpgRabbet Plane2.jpgSaw Vice.jpgSaw Vice.jpg

  13. #13
    It is hard to tell from a side view, but it looks like the wood planes are a (hopefully matched) set of tongue and groove planes. I'm not seeing anything obviously broken, other than the blade wedge, but that would be easy enough to replicate by tracing the broken piece and extrapolating the missing part from the one on the other plane.

    On the #3, the handle looks like it has been broken and repaired. That probably affects value for collectablilty, but for a user, as long as the repair is solid, it will work just fine. Broken handles on old planes are not uncommon, due to the long cross grain of the handle. They are often Rosewood, which is nice and strong, but if you do have to do a repair, the oiliness of the wood can make gluing them back together again a little tricky. A wipe of acetone prior to gluing can help.

  14. #14
    Thanks, Andrew. Here is the blade on those antique wooden planes. I thought it was a rabbet plane, but your suggestion looks right.

    Rabbet Plane2.jpg

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    As Andrew mentioned the two wooden planes are match planes.

    Here is a thread with information for making a wedge along with other things > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?242156 < you will need to be come a contributor to see the images.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •