> Just a thought. Also=2C what is the earliest use we have of the word >
> Rubber? What do period dictionaries say? Grasping at straws here=2C
> but just> coming at from another angle.
> > Cheers=2C
> John
>
As I posted earlier: mid 16th century: from the verb rub + -er. The
original sense was 'an implement (such as a hard brush) used for rubbing
and cleaning'. Because an early use of the elastic substance (previously
known as caoutchouc)was to rub out pencil marks=2C rubber gained the
sense 'eraser' in the late 18th century The sense was subsequently (mid
19th century) generalized to refer to the substance in any form or
use=2C at first often differentiated as India rubber

IF "rubber" is what was originally written=2C my vote is for a
scrub plane. -T
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