018 Molding Planes at The Best Things

Home


Vintage Tools

Infill Planes

Chisels

Measuring Tools

Misc. Tools

Molding Planes

Saws

Stanley Tools

Wooden Planes


Books


Ordering
Information

E-mail

About Us

 
Antique Tools at The Best Things
Sign Up for Email Notification of Updates.
Click Here to Sign Up.

Molding Planes

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.

Explanation of Our Condition Grading System

Frequently Asked Vintage Tool Questions




for British Molding Planes

for European Molding Planes

American Molding Planes



Gladwin & Appleton, Boston Gladwin & Appleton, Boston

MP25021 Gladwin & Appleton, Boston A very crisp and possibly unused 3/16" center bead. There is some light tearout on the left side that is probably original to when it was made.. Fine Sold





Jo. Fuller, Providence Jo. Fuller, Providence Jo. Fuller, Providence

MP25028 Jo. Fuller, Providence A 10" long birch 1/2" quirked ogee. It is marked "4/8" on the back. The body has been varnished, but if you strip off the varnish it looks good underneath. The bigger problem is tha tthe wedge is an old replacement that was not intended to deceive anyone, and doesn't. If you make a proper wedge it will be worth double this price. G+ $145



Auburn Tool Co., Auburn, N.Y. Auburn Tool Co., Auburn, N.Y.

MP250213 Auburn Tool Co., Auburn, N.Y. A very desirable 9/16" quirked ogee. It is marked 5/8". The surface looks dry and I would rub in a drop or two of linseed oil. Don't overdo it, just ehough to bring back the color. It has the common lengthwise split in the wedge. A great user with a very sought after profile. G+ $59




S.E. Farrand S.E. Farrand S.E. Farrand

MP250216 S.E. Farrand A matched pair of snipe bill planes. These planes are straight and in untouched condition. One plane has the wrong wedge in it, and it doesn't fit right. The other plane has a chip in the rear of the boxing, this is common on these. FInally, this plane also has had somebody sharpen the blade incorrectly and this will need to be fixed. In short, this will make a great set of American snipe bills, for a collector or a user, but they will needs some careful work to bring them back to great condition. Overall they are really quite good as they are and can easily be restored to a set worth twice as much. G+ $145


John E. Spayd John E. Spayd John E. Spayd

MP25011 John E. Spayd A 7/16" wide square ovolo by a rare Philadelphia maker. Spayd, who was born in 1799 in Prussia, appeared in the Philadelphia directories as a planemaker from 1831 to 1833. This is the first example of his work that I have ever handled. The plane is from an important collection of Philadelphia planes and has been properly waxed. Sighting down the plane it has a curve to the left. It would probably still work, but I can't say for sure. Really the plane belongs in a collection. G+ $65


Owasco Tool Co., New York, U.S.A. Owasco Tool Co., New York, U.S.A.

MP241113 Owasco Tool Co., New York, U.S.A. A 5/8" square ovolo in untouched as found condition. I would just wax this plane with a soft rag and hone the blade and it will be ready to use. G++ $55





Illegible Illegible

MP24077 Illegible A 3/8" side bead. The plane is signed, but I can only make out the last three letters, "NER". It is 10" long and is cearly an 18th Century American plane. There is a crack on the right side of the wedge does not go across. As found condition. G+ $45




Randall & Cook, Albany Randall & Cook, Albany

MP240711 Randall & Cook, Albany A nice 1" wide Grecian ogee with bevel. Crisp as found condition. G++ $69






E. Clark, Middleboro E. Clark, Middleboro E. Clark, Middleboro

MP24036 E. Clark, Middleboro A 3/4" wide quired ogee. Elisha Clark was "Minute Man" and responded to the historic alarm of April 19th, 1775. The plane is birich and measures 9 3/4" long. It is his earlier style wedge. The plane has fantastic color. It has been waxed by a collector, but otherwise nothing has been done to it. The only complaint that I can make is that it is not a crisp mark, but it is certainly totally legible. If you care about these things, i tis a 4 star mark. I find it more exciting that it was made by a Revolutionary War soldier. From my personal collection. G++ $895


Jo. Wilbur Jo. Wilbur Jo. Wilbur

MP240128 Jo. Wilbur A 1/2" bead plane in birch that measures 9 7/8" overall. The plane has a very untouched look about it. The rear edge where the palm goes has been rounded off for the comfort of the user. The sole shows honest wear. Joshua Wilbur's father was a Loyalist and was imprisoned duing the Revolutionary War for refusing to fight, but Joshua fought with the Rhode Island militia during the war. This plane was previously sold by Jim Bode Tools as his EXCELSIOR 85430. G++ $889


Arrowmammett Works, Middletown Arrowmammett Works, Middletown Arrowmammett Works, Middletown

MP210796 Arrowmammett Works, Middletown A 1 3/4" wide Grecian with square. Not a common profile and not to be confused with the common Grecian ogee with bevel. It has an extension tacked on to the fence. It has a rather faded look to it now, but with a few drops of linseed oil rubbed in this plane will look fantastic. G+ $65




T.J. McMaster & Co, Auburn, NY

MP20126 T.J. McMaster & Co, Auburn, NY A 7/8" wide astragal with deep Grecian. The plane is marked 3/4, which seems to be the depth of cut. Sighting down the body there is some warp and if you want to use this plane it will require some fiddling, but it looks doable to me without inordinate effort, if you have experience with this. There is a hang hole in the rear and a check in the front. Nice honest as found condition. G+ $59



Bensen & Crannell, Albany

MP201218 Bensen & Crannell, Albany A 1/2" cove plane in clean as found condition. Sighting down the sole, there is a warp in this plane that will prevent it from performing well without some fiddling. The price reflects that. Needs a light cleaning but should clean to at least G+ $30






D. Copeland

MP160150 D. Copeland This plane has a very unusual profile, a very deep cove. I have seen similar very deep Grecians, so this is presumably the converse. It does seem to me that the depth stop has been planed off. The patina matches, so it would have been done when the plane was near new, but the wood is rougher there than the finish that the maker would have left, and the spring line shows where the depth stop shoud have been. I don't think that the profile itself is modified and this is still a very ususual plane. It does appear to have been "cleaned" with steel wool. G+ $55




for top of American Molding Planes

for European Molding Planes



British Molding Planes



Holbrook Holbrook

MP25025 Holbrook A classic 1 1/8" bolection in nice as found condition. This is not a profile that you find every day. G++ Sold





W. Greenslade, Bristol W. Greenslade, Bristol

MP250211 W. Greenslade, Bristol An unusual 1 inch size ovolo sash plane. Sash planes that are wider than 3/4" are scarce. This plane is not numbered and I don't believe that it was ever part of a pair. It has been waxed by a collector. It is in great condition. Fine $45




W. Greenslade, Bristol W. Greenslade, Bristol

MP250219 W. Greenslade, Bristol A fully boxed reeding plane that cuts three 1/8" beads. This style of plane is often warped, but this one is perfectly straight and usable. It has been waxed by a collector. There is a bit of wear on the right side from rubbing on a fence, but it has no holes in it from attached fences. Much nicer than 95% of the examples that I see. G++ Sold



Holbrook Holbrook

MP250222 Holbrook A superb 1 3/8" wide astragal with quirked ogee. Wonderful as found condition. For the connoisseur. Fine Sold





Sam Cox Sam Cox

MP250225 Sam Cox A 7/16" wide bead by a very scarce early English maker. The wedge finial is partially sheared off and the quirk on the blade is chipped. Nicely waxed by a collector. Free to the first person who orders it and spends at least $250 on old tools. Good $0





Griffiths, Norwich Griffiths, Norwich Griffiths, Norwich

MP250118 Griffiths, Norwich This is a most unusual plane. It cuts a 3/4" wide thumbnail profile. The plane is only 6 1/4" long. If I saw it from the side, I would just assume that it was cut down from a standard plane to make a bullnose plane. However, it is marked on the front. I am thinking that it was made to do some kind of stop work. However, the plane appears to be unused. It is crisp and untouched. Unique in my experience. For the connoisseur. Fine $95


Speight, Leeds Speight, Leeds Speight, Leeds Speight, Leeds Speight, Leeds Speight, Leeds

MP25015 Speight, Leeds This is a group of 6 skew-mouth hollows and rounds that are all original to one set of 18. These are all that are left of the set. Perhaps the other 12 are out there somewhere. They comprise a #2 pair and then 6, 12, 14, & 16 rounds. All of the planes are in crisp as found condition and they did literally come out of an old tool chest that a friend of mine bought off of a farm in the 1970s. The #14 has some mouse chew on the wedge and shouler which knocks it down a notch, but the rest should easily clean to Fine $119


Griffiths, Norwich Griffiths, Norwich Griffiths, Norwich Griffiths, Norwich

MP24029 Griffiths, Norwich A matching pair of miniature Number 12 Hollows & Rounds. The measure 2 7/8" long. They are skew iron and the working profile is about 15/16" wide. They seem to be made from some kind of dense fruitwood, possibly pear. They could easily be mistaken for boxwood but I don't believe that they are boxwood. Signed miniatures are scarce, particularly matched pairs like this. Fine- $145



Drury, N.B. St. John Drury, N.B. St. John

MP231132 Drury, N.B. St. John A 1/4" bead plane by a scarce Canadian maker. It is also marked by the retailer, "T.L. Cleary, St. John, N.B." . The first of either of these marks that I have seen. It is in as found condition and was clearly used but not abused. G+ $49




Jas Lumsden, 20 South Lindsey St, Dundee Jas Lumsden, 20 South Lindsey St, Dundee

MP22081 Jas Lumsden, 20 South Lindsey St, Dundee A 3/4" cove plane that is made in a very unusual way. The blade is shifted very far forward of where it would normally be positioned. It should function in the same way, so I don't get why they would do this. The plane is in honest untouched condition. G+ $55




H. Olsen, 11 Vognmagergade 11 H. Olsen, 11 Vognmagergade 11 H. Olsen, 11 Vognmagergade 11

MP220712 H. Olsen, 11 Vognmagergade 11 This is a most unusual, and beautifully made, sash coping plane from Copenhagen, Denmark. I bought it from a European collector who told me that in his entire collecting career he has only seen one other example. The plane is also marked "! 1/2" for the size, probably in centimeters. At first glance it looks like a veneer saw. The beech wood has a lovely honey color and has been waxed by the collector. The metal parts have a pleasing light patina, but if you look closely you can see that they were hit with a fine wire brush. No real damage was done as it was a soft brush, but it is still a really bad thing to do to a tool and should be prosecuted. G++ $195


Moseley & Son, London Moseley & Son, London

MP22055 Moseley & Son, London A 1" Grecian ogee with bevel. Interestingly, the plane is also marked with a Ward, W&P mark that I have not seen before, but I assume was used to mark tools that went through their retail store. The plane has been lightly cleaned by a collector. The fence is rather shallow. I don't know why, but if might be a little tricky to use without putting on a fence extension. This is no big deal. I see fence extensions on planes all the time. G+ $55


Sash Template Sash Template

MP180841 Sash Template This is the largest sash template that I have ever seen by far. It is for a giant lamb's tongue sash like might be used in a Victorian church. The molding would be about 2" wide to the glass. It is in wonderful as found condition with an attractive rich patina. Fine $59




Edwd Preston & Sons, B

MP210155 Edwd Preston & Sons, B'ham, Eng. An unusual 1 1/4" wide ovolo. Not a square ovolo, it is more similar to a very larege sash ovolo, but not quite the same. As found condition. G+ $59






W. Greenslade, Bristol

MP151021 W. Greenslade, Bristol A very unusual #4 round that is only 7 inches long. The only one of its kind that I have seen. I have seen much smaller Hollows and Rounds, but not one in this intermediary size. G++ $59







for top of American Molding Planes

for top of British Molding Planes



European & Other Molding Planes

To the top of Molding Planes