Billy Tools Co. Ltd Sheffield

[Frank&Earnest]

I bought an "antique" coffin smoother (marked "404") with this brand incised on the blade. Google only tells me that the brand existed in the '30s and produced screwdrivers. Can anybody shed more light on these planes? It has a frog, which to my very limited knowledge seems a bit uncommon for wooden planes. It is in good condition, so I would just sharpen and use it, unless it is a collection piece.

[orraloon]

I would be using it but I am not a collector. I would think that even a collectable could be sharpened. Any chance of a pic. Sounds like a rare beastie.
Regards
john

[Frank&Earnest]

My apologies, John. Not having seen any answers for a while, I forgot about this post. I remembered now looking at another one I bought, I'll open another thread about that one. As you can see, 6 weeks and 230 views later I am still none the wiser. Here are the photos you asked.

[Zsteve]

a mate gave me a Billy Tools plane blade, I put it to work in a panel raising plane I made, seemms to hold an edge ok.

[Heavansabove]

Billy Tools was probably a dealer not maker. The company does not appear in Goodman, British Planemakers, although that work has not been revised since 1993, and is not a complete coverage. The only reference I found on web was to the newspaper archive of the National Library.

Cheers
Peter

[Frank&Earnest]

Thanks Peter.

The fleeting reference I found with Google was to a site selling old tools, and they had for sale a 1930 screwdriver so branded. Either way, being so little known they would seem to have been around for a rather short time.

[orraloon]

F&E,
It looks to be in good usable condition so sharpening and use will not affect its value.
I dont know anything the Billy Tools company but it looks to be a typical coffin smoother.
The timber will come up good with a scrub with turps then a wipe over with boiled linseed oil. Should be a nice plane to use.
Regards
John