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

• Craftsman OEM Lists
  • Planes made for Craftsman had these codes:
    • BB - Millers Falls
    • BL - Sargent
    • DD - Stanley
  • At some point (1947?) Sears went to the nnn.xxxxx model number format where nnn indicates the OEM
    • An exhaustive list can be found over at Vintage Machinery
  • Wrenches had different codes
    • The pre-1947 list can be found at Craftsman Wrench Logos
    • The full list can be found at Garage Journal
• Old Tool Catalog Scans
• Winchester Planes
  • Post-WWI Winchester got into the tool business. Planes were made by Stanley and Sargent.
    • Stanley planes are marked 'W'X where X is the Stanley size (ex: W3). These are Bedrock Type 4 planes with a Winchester lever cap and the usual twisted lateral adjuster handle Stanley used on contract planes.
    • Sargent planes typically have the Sargent number cast in the bed and look otherwise identical except for the Winchester lever cap.

Articles (Captive or Otherwise)

• 3rd Party Planes - Many of the "off-brand" planes were made by major makers, find out who made what
• Auger Bits - Description of the types of cutter patterns used on bits
• Craftsman Wrench Logos - Many makers made the Craftsman wrenches, this helps ID and date them
• Millers Falls as OEM for Planes - Folks for whom Millers Falls made planes
• Millers Falls Plane Type Study - Lots of info on Millers Falls planes
• Sizing Hollows and Rounds - Describes how the sizes are determined (not universal)
• Workbench Images (Historical)
• Stanley Hardware - Sizes and pitches used in Stanley Planes

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
  • Craftsman Hand Plane Type Study (PDF) & Reference Data
  • Record Plane Type Study and Production History
  • Sargent Planes - The most complete resource I've found
  • Sargent Planes by Number - Lots of pictures here
  • Stanley - Hans Brunner Tools - Possibly the most complete Stanley Plane reference around
  • Stanley - Patrick Leach - He doesn't call it Blood & Gore for no reason...
  • Union Plane Feature Study - Union is reissuing X-type planes in 2021. Meanwhile, this is a great source.
  • Vaughn & Bushnell Planes - Lots of information on these uncommon planes
  • Joseph Wolsterholme & Sons - Interesting iron block planes from England
• Saws
  • E.C. Atkins & Co. Saws - Famous Indiana saw maker (operational from the 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
  • Alloy Artifacts - Wrenches other mechanics tools. Highly recommended.
  • Early Rhode Island Tool Makers
  • Edward Preston - a guide to this UK maker
  • Henry Cheney Hammer Co - Resource on that maker
  • William Marples and Sons - a massive resource
  • Wooden Machinist Tool Chests - A frankly obsessive chronicle of these things.
  • Vintage Machinery - One step (or more) from hand tools
  • Yesteryears Tools - Axes and related edge tools

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-??)
• The history of Wooden Clamps - Beware it's still 1996 on this site, but info you can't find elsewhere