More than Eight Hundred Tools Featured at Brown's 23rd International Antique Tool Auction

Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association, Inc., The, Jan/Feb 2004 by Wells, John

(This article appears here in publication for the first time. All photographs courtesy of Brown Auction Services. Prices quoted here and in David Englund's report include the 10% Buyers Premium. - Editor)

THE STARS

Brown's 23rd International Antique Tool Auction, held last October 25 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, offered 808 tools for sale. Of these, a combination match and plow plane by Lewis Bundy of Mooer's Forks NY, patented November 15,1870, stole the show, bringing the top price for the auction: $18,700 (Figure 1).

The center section of Bundy's plane was a double-sided fence with a closed tote on both ends. A plow section, mounted on a pair of square arms on one side of the center section, cut the groove for a tongue and groove joint. Two sections with skew cutters, on the other side of the center section, cut a pair of rabbets for the tongue. Applying the pushing force to the fence, rather than the section doing the cutting, may have caused racking in the arms and joints, making the plane hard to use. It was a handsome and intriguing plane and one of only two known examples.

William S. Loughborough's plow plane patented May 3,1864, ran a close second, selling for $13,750. It was a wonderful example of early technology during the era when metallic plow planes were struggling to take the place of wood plow planes. That was also about the time self-regulating plows and premium wood plows with silver and ivory trim were becoming a status symbols among master joiners. Loughborough's plow was one of the earliest metallic plow planes to solve the problem of parallelism, which it did by using a heavy cast iron fence with integral arms that ran on guides in the plane's body. The heavy fence made the plane awkward to handle, which may account for there being only three known examples that still have the fence (Figure 2).

THE BEST OF STANLEY

When it comes to advertising displays, it will be hard to beat the Stanley "Six Happy Carpenters" window display offered as a complete three-piece display. This display, in mint, never-set-up condition complete with the original printed instructions and custom made carrying case, was a prime example of mid-1930s graphic design and advertising art. It was offered first as three separate lots and then as a combination of the three lots, starting one bid increment above the sum of the three high bids. Collectors clearly wanted the complete threepiece display, and it sold that way to an absentee bidder for $6,820 (Figure 3).

Justus Trauf s hollow and round plane, patented July 30, 1878, was a handled plane body with detachable bottoms and cutters offered in pairs to cut different size hollows and rounds. It went through a number of developmental cycles over an extended period but was never put into production. It was probably an attempt to provide the same functionality and convenience offered by sets of wood hollows and rounds popular with woodworkers since the Eighteenth century. Apparently there were three versions of this plane; the second, and third versions were offered in this auction.

The second version of Traut's hollow & round plane, Lot 333, had turn locks to secure the bottoms and the ivy-vine pattern design on the handle shown in Miller's july 6,1875, patent for the Stanley No.48 tongue and groove plane (Figure 4). This design was used on the handle of several Stanley planes as well as on the L. Bailey's Victor No.14 combination plane offered in 1876. It sold in the room for $6,600 (Figure 4).

The third version of Traut's plane, Lot 760, had a ring and extended horn on the front of the plane body and the pebble design on the handle used on the Stanley No.48 and similar planes offered in 1909 and later. A Stanley shop tag reading "No.150" with a 1920 Sweet Heart trademark was attached to this example. Perhaps The Plane Department at Stanley intended to put it in production in the 1920s, but the production committee decided against it. It sold for $4,510.

The very rare first version of the Stanley No.120 block plane, with the five-point star used on the American flag on the lever cap, was made for less than a year to celebrate the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. It was a bargain at $1,980.

A scarce Stanley No.164 low angle plane in fine condition brought $3,520. A Bed Rock No.602c, late style with corrugated bottom, in Good+ condition sold for $2,310. A No.602, late style smooth bottom in fine condition, brought $1,925.

STANLEY IN THE BOX

There was a good selection of Stanley planes in their original box in exceptional condition in this auction.

A mint No.l plane with a sweetheart trademark, a scarce yellow and blue store tag, and 90% of the box label, sold for $3,190. A super mint No.22, Type 17, transitional smooth plane with the seldom seen late high front knob, in a crispy box, brought $1,870. A very rare factory fresh No.39-13/16 dado plane in a box labeled "13/16" realized $5,060. The label on the box is important because Stanley made these planes by milling down the casting for a No.39-7/8 plane. A super No.62 low angle plane in a lightly scuffed box brought $2,310. A never used, A78 aluminum rabbet plane in a crisp box with an A78 picture label, sold for $2,310. A mint No.85 scraper plane with a rabbet mouth, tilting handles, and full handle label, rarely seen in the box, sold for $6,160.