My thanks to Randy and all the others who were so helpful in ID'ing the 
Rockford plane. The info was very informative on a maker I had not seen 
before.

Ya gotta luv "the porch".

Bill Rittner
Manchester, CT

I thought when I retired my work would slow down :)
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Randy O" 
To: "'Bill Rittner'" ; 
Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 10:23 PM
Subject: Re: [OldTools] Who Made This Plane? SOLVED!

> What you have there is a Rockford R3. The Rockford Tool Co. was a sister 
> company to the H.C. Marsh Co. and both companies occupied the same 
> building in Rockford Illinois. Rockford made bench planes in sizes R3 
> through R8 including R4 1/2 and R5 1/2. They did not make an R1, R2 or R5 
> 1/4 size planes that I have been able to identify (yet?). All sizes were 
> available in smooth and corrugated bottoms. No block planes or specialty 
> planes were made and sold by Rockford.
>
> The planes are characteristically marked with the R and plane size cast 
> into the base at the toe or heel, or in front of the rear tote behind the 
> frog. The only other markings were typically on the cutters which was 
> stamped with Rockford TMP Rockford Ill and the blade width for planes 
> marketed and sold under the Rockford Tool Co name. These planes are often 
> found with cutters simply stamped Lakeside in script text which are also 
> correct for the planes. Apparently Montgomery Ward was a big customer for 
> Rockford because most of the planes you find will have the correct 
> Lakeside cutters. These were never sold with Stanley cutters. Other 
> classic features of these planes are frog adjusting screw, walnut totes & 
> knobs, unmarked lateral levers, small diameter brass blade adjuster with 3 
> rings, lever caps have the blade width cast into the back. The design of 
> the frog to base is the classic Marsh design which differs from Stanley 
> and all other planes. Front knobs are typically walnut with low knob 
> styles for the earlier planes and high knobs on the later planes.
>
> All of these planes are fairly scarce and some sizes and models are down 
> right rare. I hope this helps everyone understand the Rockford planes 
> better.
>
> Randy Osborne
> Clyde, NC
>
>
>>> I'm trying to buy a #3 size bench plane. The only mark I can
>>> find is R3. I'm
>>> thinking something like K3 or W3, but a tool seller beginning
>>> with R escapes
>>> my feeble memory. Does anyone know this mark?
>>>
>>> Bill Rittner
>>> Manchester, CT
>>
>>
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