>Don wrote about the Gabriel inventory list....."
>
> For what it's worth, if you compare the various quantities between
> the Plane Irons at the beginning of the list and the comparable
> width Top Irons following, there usually are more Plane Irons than
> Top Irons. This may not mean anything, but certainly doesn't lend
> any additional evidence toward concluding that *all* the irons
> were cut.
> ..........................................When I read about the more plane
irons then cap irons being sold the first thing I thought of is how a iron
will eventually wear out and a wood worker will need to replace it with
another, but a cap iron is more or less a one time buy , so maybe this was
why more irons then caps were in stock, again just
speculation...................
>
>
>Then Don tells us...................."
>
> The 1910 Ohio Tool Co. catalogue lists their "regular beechwood"
> Double Iron, Polished Start Smooth Plane at 90 cents. A few pages
> later they list their Applewood (Finely made, with Polished Starts)
> Single Iron Smooth plane at $1.30.........
>is to point out that,
> as late as 1910, some woodworkers were making a conscious decision
> to purchase a single iron plane, though a less expensive double iron
> plane was readily available. I think it's interesting to actually
> consider why this would be the case.
>
>
> I do find it a little amazing that  a plane making firm was offering
single iron planes at this late date,would be interesting if any one out
there has ever seen one.I think it is probably more of a case that the plane
makers could offer a single iron plane very easly then a case for demand for
them.After all a single iron is just a double iron not completed,[cut for
slot], and then bedded in the plane.So it would'nt be a major undertaking by
the plane makers to offer this product.During this same time period other
companys made simular offers, the fire arms giants Colt and Winchester
coming to mind where they made all types of options, some being so rare
today as only being a handfull known.So who was buying single iron planes in
1910? I don't know only I bet there wasn't many of them, but remember almost
a century later there are still people that swear by them,[as this
conversation proves!], so maybe they were some back then too and the plane
companys were only to glad to accomadate them esp. as it involved no extra
cost............................Todd
>
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