Tool Identification

A collection of references that I have found useful for identifying mysterious rust tools from the more "modern" age. Really, this is the golden age of hand tools. Commercially or professionally made, either by hand or at least finished by hand and still quite useable after 150 years. Once we hit about 1960, it's all junk until the recent hand tool revival.

Notes

• Old Tool Catalog Scans

Captive Articles

• Auger Bits
• Craftsman Wrench Logos
• Sizing Hollows and Rounds

Links

• Braces & Drills
  • Georges Basement - Mostly a brace reference, misc. other stuff.
  • Millers Falls Tools - Drills, drivers, planes, and Goodell-Pratt drills too.
  • Sydnas Sloot - Earlier American brace resource
• Planes
  • Chaplin’s Patent Planes
  • Hans Brunner Tools - Possibly the most complete Stanley Plane reference around
  • Patrick Leach's Stanley Plane Reference - He doesn't call it Blood & Gore for no reason...
  • Sargent Planes - The most complete resource I've found
  • Union Plane Feature Study - Union is back in business and planning on reissuing X-type planes starting in 2021. Meanwhile, this is a great source.
• Saws
  • E.C. Atkins & Co. Saws - Famous Indiana saw maker (operational from 1870s to 1961)
  • Henry Disston Saws - The most famous American Saw maker.
  • Keystone Saws - A brand of Disston Saws
  • Saw Set Collector's Resource - Yes, people collect these...
• Other Stuff
  • Henry Cheney Hammer Co - Detailed resource on this hammer maker
  • Yesteryears Tools - All about axes and related tools (+ spokeshaves for some reason, don't ask me why).
  • William Marples and Sons - All things Marples, a massive site
  • Alloy Artifacts - A massive resource on wrenches other mechanics tools. Highly recommended.

Historical Links

Not tool ID sources, but great articles about the makes of these tools

• The history of the Goodell Brothers and the Goodell-Pratt Company (1868 - merged with Millers Falls in 1931)
• The history of the Langdon Mitre Box (1864 - merged with Millers Falls in 1907 who continued production to 1975)
• The history of the Millers Falls Company (1861-1982)
• The history of Stanley in Canada (1907-1984)
• The history of Stanley in England (1936-??)