The thread on letting the season begin hits home a bit here, as this
turned out to be the first interesting acquisition weekend. Easter is
past, the weather is around 80F, got all the seeds planted for April
already, so what is there to do but a bit o'rust hunting?

Yesterday was pretty scary good - Out in a shed on the back of someone's
property I found a good number of old tools looking for a new home. I'm
pretty picky these days, but after Ralph's shaker box class I'm always
on the lookout for more hand-cranked grinders to convert into sanding
machines. Found one, plus a complete set of snecked plough plane irons,
plus a really nice outcannel gouge in a size I didn't have, plus a
larger ball pein hammer to replace the one I kind of destroyed during
the Shepherd Tool class. Maybe some other stuff in the pile - it's all a
blur. Ten bucks, eh? Sounds fair. Found some things in the pile as I was
picking it up that I had not mentioned as I was putting it all down, so
forced the poor woman to take a couple of extra dollars as an offering
to the tool gods.

Today I had decided to pass up the PAST meet in Spreckels for the first
time in years, fuel prices being "a lot" these days. Instead I had
agreed to spend two hours at Woodcraft talking about hand planes to
anyone who wanted to know more about the subject. Probably stayed three
just for fun. But at the outside tool swap I picked up a 3/8 inch
pigsticker mortise chisel. I've been looking for one of these for a long
time, and even managed to not find one in England a couple of years ago.
Instead I find one two miles from home for another ten buck outlay.

This one is marked Brades Co Cast Steel. A quick web search turns up a
little info (19th century) but not much more. So a little help from you
chisel knowledgeable folks, if you please. Probably English - looks like
all my other pigstickers in this respect. Do we have dates and working
location available?

TIA, Ken

Ken Greenberg (ken@c...) 667 Brush Creek Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95404
http://www.calast.com/personal/ken/wood.htm Visit the oldtools book list
at http://www.calast.com/personal/ken/booklist.htm

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At 07:35 PM 4/16/05, Ken Greenberg wrote:

>This one is marked Brades Co Cast Steel. A quick web search turns up a little
>info (19th century) but not much more. So a little help from you chisel
>knowledgeable folks, if you please. Probably English - looks like all my 
>other
>pigstickers in this respect. Do we have dates and working location available?

Only thing I have for a Brades & Co is a listing as a steel warehouse in 
the Wrightsons 1818 directory of Birmingham which is probably what you 
found.  Goodman lists a Brades & Son as a plane iron maker but no working 
dates.

Tony

                         Olde River Hard Goods
                             350 West Catawissa Street
                               Nesquehoning PA 18240
                                         570-669-9421
               The best old tool store in Pennsylvania!
                     http://www.oldetoolshop.com  

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Ken Greenberg asked about a chisel:

>This one is marked Brades Co Cast Steel. A quick web search turns
>up a little info (19th century) but not much more. So a little 
>help from you chisel knowledgeable folks, if you please. Probably 
>English ...

Tony Seo's citation of an 1818 Birmingham listing is, likely,
related to the firm which made this chisel:

"Hunt William & Sons, Brades Steel Co.'s Warehouse, Colmore Row"

My information on this firm, and its products, is still very
sketchy, but I believe it was in fairly continuous operation
until, at least, 1915 (latest directory I have available). 

As far as I've been able to determine, the company was listed as
being coal and iron masters, as well as steel manufacturers/
refiners, in the "Brades," Oldbury, as early as 1828. Regarding
edge tool manufacturing, the earliest listing I've found is for
1835:

  "Hunt William and Sons, scythe, hay and straw knives, and
   general mechanical and edge tool &c. manufacturers, Brades
   Steel Works [Oldbury]."

I agree with Bugbear that most of their input was, likely, 
"heavy" edge tools, similar to other firms such as Gilpin and 
Whitehouse. But, enough "light" edge tools have survived to
confirm that they made them as well.

By 1830, their Birmingham warehouse had moved to (52) Ann
Street, where it remained until, at least, 1875. The firm
became a Limited company by 1892, and their Birmingham 
warehouse was being listed at 7 Whittall Street - where it
remained as late as 1914.

>From 1896 on, the company was listed as:

  "Hunt William & Sons, The Brades Ltd., Brades Works"

There is still much to sort out, but my general impression
is that their works continued to be in Oldbury through much
of their tenure, and, concurrently, they maintained a ware-
house in Birminghm for most/all of the same time. They also
had a London office by 1899.

Hope this helps a little.

Don McConnell
Knox County, Ohio

		
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Ken Greenberg wrote:

>
> This one is marked Brades Co Cast Steel. A quick web search turns up a
> little info (19th century) but not much more. So a little help from
> you chisel knowledgeable folks, if you please. Probably English -
> looks like all my other pigstickers in this respect. Do we have dates
> and working location available?

Can't tell you much; Brades appears to be a "dabbler" in fine tools.
They're better known for horticultural and builder's tools.

Hoes, spades, axes, trowels (all kinds), hammers etc.

They made very good examples.

But.

They also made a few heavy carpentry tools; I've seen several chisels,
especially mortise chisels.

(Hmm. On consideration, an almost identical product range to "Gilpin")

They eventually merged with Nash, and then Skelton and Tyzack (which of
the many Tyzacks I know not).

    BugBear (who has a few Brades tool in workshop and garage)

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