Thread: Of totes and knobs

My Australian-made Stanley (#5) was bought in about 1965 or '66 and came with a wooden handle & knob, but blowed if I can remember what wood it was. I remember it was pale under the thick coat of dark lacquer (which peeled off in 5-cent-sized globs), & that's all. Several decades ago, I replaced them with Rosewood, which was still available at something less than a king's ransom back then....

The #4 I bought in 1981 had plastic things. They and the plane they adorned have long since gone to the tip - I simply could not get it to work properly no matter how hard I tried.

Not very helpful, I know, but someone who knows the full details will surely answer your question soon..
Cheers,

I read a suggestion somewhere that coachwood was used but my memory is no guarantee. With that red stain/varnish to maintain uniformity they could have used practically any suitable wood and probably did.

Carter planes used coachwood, and Stanley Australia may have also, but I haven't been able to find that anywhere on the web.