Molding Planes at The Best Things

- Molding Planes at The Best Things

Molding Planes

Saws

Stanley Tools

Before the days of store bought moldings and Stanley combination planes, every cabinetmaker and joiner had a chest full of molding planes. For the most part these planes are almost identical, however, there are subtle but important differences. More on the differences between cabinetmaker's and joiner's molding planes. Joiner's planes are much more common to find, because far more people were employed building houses than were employed building furniture by hand. Both types of planes can still be used on today's projects. By our estimation, you haven't lived, until you have struck a molding with an original molding plane that once sung in the shop of a 19th Century master. 18th Century molding planes are quite scarce and should be left to collectors. We hope that the collection presented here will offer something for everyone.

A word on sharpening and using molding planes.

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American Molding Planes

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British Molding Planes

MP90628 Routledge, Birmingham This is a group of tools that were all owned by the same person, A. Reid. There is complete set of 18 skew hollows and rounds, a set of 8 beads, all by Routledge, a compass plane by J. Gillett (Unrecorded version of mark), a compassed rebate by Sims, and a pair of drawer bore pins by Marples. The tools are all as found and need light cleaning with wax and a rag. The drawer bore pins are smaller than the average and a good size for cabinetmakers. One of them has a patch of rust that needs cleaning off. The beads run in 1/8" increments from 1/8" to 1". Some of the wedges on the beads are a bit battered and on has a piece of wood missing from the finial. The wedges on the other planes are fine and I can only assume that a later owner who only used the beads was careless with them. This is quite a find to get a group of tools like this all from the same chest that have been together for so long. G+ $1295

MP9061 Hollows & Rounds and Beads This is an amazing set of planes that have been together all their lives. There is a full set of 36 hollows and rounds. I can count on one hand the number of complete sets of 36 hollows and rounds that I have ever seen, and this is only the second that I have had the priviledge to own. These planes are circa 1800, with a rounded wedge finial and a bit wider chamfers. They are not maker marked, but every plane is marked by the owner, "R. Baker." They are all cabinet pitch and not skewed. I believe that they are by Mutter, but I can't prove this. Many of the irons are marked Hildick, London, which is the right period for Mutter. The wedge finials match exactly a few of the Mutter planes in my collection. Also, there is a complete set of 10 side beads, from 1/8" to 1", all marked by the next generation, "H. Baker." These planes are all marked by Varvill & Sons, and are more typically 19th Century in style. The blades are set at a normal pitch. All of the planes arel very clean and have a very light patina. They have been in a serious collection for many years and were waxed at one time. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the true connoisseur to obtain the ultimate set of cabinmaker's planes. G++ $3995Sold

MP80654 S. Holbeck This is a rare mid-18th Century English molding plane measuring 9 5/8" long. I don't recall ever having a Holbeck plane before. The profile is one of the super fine profiles that collectors generically call picture frame moldings, but which in fact have nothing at all to do with picture frames. The only place that I have seen these moldings used is on the very fine moldings used on early jewelry chests. This profile is 9/16" wide and the iron is set at a York pitch. If you wanted to use it, it would take some care to get it working, as the profile is so fine that it would be a nightmare to sharpen. The bad news, as there always is, is that the front edge appears to have been rounded over, and the maker's mark is not super crisp and clear. Still, a rare profile by a rare maker. Good $245

MP80540 I.Cox This is a rare handled English complex molding plane. It was apparently made for the American market, which makes sense for this style of plane. I make that prempton because it bears two different American style owner's brands. It looks very much like a Napier plane of the same period. The mark is the early Cox mark, which is a big rectangular mark. The profile is the really great news here. It is a very unusual and appealing profile. The profile is 1 1/2" wide and would fit in well as main part of a cornice mold on a piece of furniture. The iron is a round topped Hildick. The bad news is that the tote is a later replacement, more in the 19th Century style. Also, the rear of the plane is marked with an American collector's mark and inventory number. I can overlook the tote and the desecration because the rest of the plane is so good. It is just a great profile that I won't even begin to try and describe. G+ $265

MP70230 Gabriel This is a set of 3 Gabriel planes, all from the same owner, W. Dunt. Two of them are the same profile, a 7/8" and a 1" astragal with Grecian, the smaller of which is missing about 1 1/2" of boxing which looks to have recently fallen out. The other plane is a 1" quirked ogee. This plane is the style with a removeable fillet against the fence. This is missing but easily replaced. The original owner has rounded the rear shoulder on each plane to make them more comfortable to use. All three planes have been nicely waxed and are very nice condition, having been sympathetically treated all their lives. The Priced at less than $60 each, this is a steal. Normally a set is worth more than its parts, but I priced these at a discount over the parts to make it more affordable. G++ $179

European Molding Planes