Galoots,

Just when I was sure I really didn't need another plane,
guess what?  Yah, local auction last night, and I picked
up a transitional jointer.  OK the price was good and I
saved an old tool from being turned into a lamp.

And of course I got questions about age & maker.  I tried
the archive search but unfortunately the name of the plane
maker defies such attempts at extracting data from the
archives.

I got me a 28 inch jointer in pretty nice shape and the
body and iron (with 2 inches of steel life left in it)
are stamped "B.PLANE PATENTED OCT 22 1889".

As usual there's a chunk missing from the tip of the tote
and somebody has opened the mouth (but not too badly. it's
still only 3/32 inch wide - I've seen worse; Heck, I *use*
worse!)

So who was "B.PLANE" and where did they make this thing?

Darrell
Uh Oh.  I got *Two* transitionals now.  According to Tony
that's a collection already...

----
>Uh Oh.  I got *Two* transitionals now.  According to Tony
>that's a collection already...
>
according to me its a blight. ;>}

What do you call 200 transitional planes in a bonfire?

A good start.

Totally prejudiced disciple of the iron plane

Clarke Green

Darrell,

This is probably the mark of the Birmingham Plane Company (1885-1900) of
Birmingham, CT; makers of transitionals as well as iron bodied planes.  See
vol 1 of Roger Smith's PTAMPIA ("Patented Transitional and Metallic Planes
in America", Jeff) pgs 187-193.  On page 190 Smith shows the mark:

    B.PLANE
     PAT'D
  OCT.22,1889

Where "B.PLANE" appears in an arc.  Acording to Roger, this mark appeared
on the toe of wood bottom planes and on the cutters of iron bench planes.

Jeff

This mark appears At 08:43 AM 9/22/99 -0400, Darrell LaRue wrote:
>Galoots,
>
>And of course I got questions about age & maker.  I tried
>the archive search but unfortunately the name of the plane
>maker defies such attempts at extracting data from the
>archives.
>
>I got me a 28 inch jointer in pretty nice shape and the
>body and iron (with 2 inches of steel life left in it)
>are stamped "B.PLANE PATENTED OCT 22 1889".
>
>So who was "B.PLANE" and where did they make this thing?
>
>Darrell

---------jgrot@t...

And what can anyone tell us about these "B Planes"?

I've seen a few in auctions, etc., and the way they've been presented, I've
gotten the impression that they are somehow desired or desireable (?)

Just wondering, in case I see one - would like to have something to go on as
to whether I should go for it...

- Bill Taggart
- At home in Califon, NJ USA