I really don’t want to be “that guy”. I hate to be cynical or rain on anybody’s
parade. But I call total and utter BS on this one.

It’s a collection of mediocre tools modified to fit together nicely in this
cabinet. It looks good at first glance, and the tool geek in me wants it to be
real, but the just don’t make any sense. It’s a conglomeration of tools from all
over the world probably spanning 100 years or more.  A very similar chest,
though smaller scale, was discussed on the list almost a year ago. Strangely,
that thread had the same subject title!  I’m fairly certain I know who made it.
There’s a guy in New York who makes these tool boxes, buying up good-looking,
but otherwise mediocre tools, and stuffing them into boxes. He adds a bit of
Americana to them, a flag, vintage newspaper, an old carpenters’ union book,
vintage photos, whatever, to give them character. A few years ago he showed up
in Nashua at the tailgate sale and had three or four of these for sale in the
tailgate sale.. When pressed he admitted he made them up himself. He finds a
nicely patinated vintage chest and finds or modifies down tools to fit  In fact,
he bought a bunch of tools from me to use in similar craft projects. I vividly
remember talking to him about a saw he wanted to buy, pointing out that the
plate was slightly bent. He said he didn’t care and he was going to cut off the
first six inches to make it fit in a box he was making!  Since then I remember
seeing his stuff at Stormville once, and others have said they are sold at
Brimfield as well.

Again, hate to be that guy.. but I’d bet anything it’s this same guy’s work.

Josh in CT



On Sep 21, 2014, at 1:05 PM, RH Hutchins  wrote:

> On 9/21/2014 11:44 AM, Anthony Seo wrote:
>> While walking around the flea market this morning, there one seller who had a
few interesting tools that I grabbed, but then he mentioned that he had this
tool chest.  He mainly brought it to show.  According to the people he got it
from the original owner had worked as a carpenter for a circus around the turn
of the century (19th into the 20th.)  My guess this was constructed more around
1920 or so based on some of the tools. But what a treasure trove.
>> 
>> htt
p://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/miscpics/toolchest09212014a.jpg
>> 
>> htt
p://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/miscpics/toolchest09212014b.jpg
>> 
>> htt
p://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/miscpics/toolchest09212014c.jpg
>> 
>> htt
p://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/miscpics/toolchest09212014d.jpg
>> 
>> htt
p://oldetoolshop.com/jointer/miscpics/toolchest09212014e.jpg
>> 
>> The only thing I didn't see were planes but there are two drawers on the one
side that I didn't look in.  They wouldn't have been big planes but, who knows.
My guess is that the guy was primarily a wood carver but did a lot of other work
as well.  There is a big round or heading knife for leather work but I didn't
see any other leather tools.  The copper coated square is a Duby & Shinn 1902
Patent Carpenters square.  That was plated originally but the plating on those
was very thin or weak and most of the time you find them, the copper wash coat
is showing.
>> 
>> I don't know if anything in there was cleaned or not.  But this is a neat old
tool chest and these fitted ones do not show up very often.  The seller did
mention a price that he might consider ($3000) but I think even that is cheap
and he wasn't really trying to move it.
>> 
>> Enjoy
>> 
>> Tony (who would have loved to brought it back here but........)
>> 
> That post deserves a violation of the snippage rule!
> 
> http://rucku
s.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/oldtools