Thread: Some old woodies

I just fount this on the net: So ir would seem my Malloch plane is almost 100 years old, since it has Perth stamped on it.

Malloch, David

1850 – 1860
57 South Methven St, Perth

1860 – 1870
25 St John St & Kirkside, Perth

1870 – 1878
50 South St, Perth

Malloch, David & Son

1878 – 1913
50 South St, Perth (The Perth Plane Works)

1914 – 1932>
11 East Campbell St, Glasgow

Subsidiary of Alexander Mathieson, Glasgow




When John McGlashan died in June 1849, his business was taken over by David Malloch who was almost certainly an employee. Malloch also worked for Stewart in Edinburgh as shown by his mark “MALLOCH LATE OF STEWART’S EDINH”.

In the 1851 census he is recorded as employing 5 men. Also recorded are his wife, two daughters and a son (William) aged two years. Living with the family was his brother-in-law, William McLaren, aged 18 years and also a planemaker.

A notice in the Perthshire Courier of Tuesday 26 April 1870, recorded that “David Malloch, Plane Manufacturer and Edge Tool Merchant …. has removed from Kirkside to more commodious premises at 50 South St. …”

It is apparent that the Malloch business had steadily grown and with the move to South St, further expansion was possible. These were extensive premises for a firm that seems to have undertaken little or no other work than planemaking.

The firm closed in Perth in 1913 but the name was purchased by Alexander Mathieson of Glasgow. Presumably the good name of Malloch was a considerable trading advantage as Mathieson were still listing the firm at 11 East Campbell St, Glasgow up to 1932 and it would seem likely that planes were still being supplied with the Malloch mark or there would have been no reason to maintain the directory listing.

After Mathieson, Malloch was probably the most prolific Scottish planemaker and his name is common amongst planes sold by dealers. Model numbers found on some planes are an indicator that they were made by Mathieson after the takeover.

I will clean them up and take some photos.
Also the Mathiesons have the star and crescent stamped on them.

Originally Posted by BobL

I picked up a box of woodies and moulding planes yesterday and am interested in the pedigree or lack thereof.
...
Along the top left, the S is a Sorby, the next marked M is a Marples , E = Emir. The last two Ms , and the remainder on the bottom row are Mathiesons.

Bob,

Emir is an English maker, which started in 1932 as a branch of the German company ECE (E. C. Emmerich, maker of the PRIMUS planes). Here's some history:

About us | EMIR

Wolfgang

Originally Posted by wjordan

Bob,

Emir is an English maker, which started in 1932 as a branch of the German company ECE (E. C. Emmerich, maker of the PRIMUS planes). Here's some history:

About us | EMIR

Wolfgang

Thanks Wolfgang.

The educational link is interesting. One thing I found out about the set I picked up was they at one time belonged to a woodwork teacher at a technical college. This might explain why the set has 3 identical Emir rebate planes, when the old woodies were no longer used in technical colleges in the 1950's and 60s it is likely that these were disposed of and the teacher picked them up.