Thread: Quick question

Something has to be over 100 years old to be classed as antique.

Originally Posted by Skilsaw

...what age do tools have to be to fall in the antique category for example is my old Stanley type 13 sweetheart No3 plane from the 1920's classed as antique

It'll be interesting to see what others write, but I don't think there is a definition of antique when it comes to handtools. I would consider your type 13 plane to be an antique - but I'm a bit OTT when it comes to things like that.

I think rarity trumps age in the handtool world (and that type 13 isn't rare enough to be valuable). But I believe that any plane that's survived 90 years deserves the sort of treatment you've given yours. If I was looking to modify a plane, or even just paint it non-standard colours, I'd look for something much newer.

My tuppence worth.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

It'll be interesting to see what others write, but I don't think there is a definition of antique when it comes to handtools. I would consider your type 13 plane to be an antique - but I'm a bit OTT when it comes to things like that.

I think rarity trumps age in the handtool world (and that type 13 isn't rare enough to be valuable). But I believe that any plane that's survived 90 years deserves the sort of treatment you've given yours. If I was looking to modify a plane, or even just paint it non-standard colours, I'd look for something much newer.

My tuppence worth.

Cheers, Vann.

Thank you for that, no hand tool deserves to be left to rust, I mainly chose to buy and restore that type 13 purely so I could use it and found it to be a more affordable way to get good quality planes at way less than the prices we have to pay at hardware shops, the biggest cost for me was the elbow grease and effort to bring that plane back from the unusable condition it was in. Ironically and I never mentioned this in the other thread but when i pulled that cutter iron out to clean it up i found it had been put in with the bevel facing upwards so the last person to use it must have had a hard time planing wood with it.

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This is the sort of thread that could, given only a little fuel, go for twenty pages or more as the anecdotes roll in,

My takes is that there are several words that are used to describe older objects. Four that come to mind are Veteran, Vintage, Antique and Classic. I have taken these from the automotive world. Other words that could be considered are desirable or coveted and just plain old. Some objects may belong to more than one of these descriptions. Then there are the predictions too: "Destined to become classic" etc. etc..

In the world of antique objects, the sort found in antique shops (but not all objects of course), true antiques may well be those older than 100 years, but I am not sure that is the case with tools. Much is down to the seller's descriptions and of course they choose language designed to attract and sell. In the area of my interest, hand saws, I see antique and vintage used in the same breath. Another word that comes to mind is "collectible" and that covers a multitude of sins too. I would think that with hand tools such as planes I would look to collectible as those from the pre-nuclear era (pre-WW2). I don't know when metal planes were first made (1900 maybe) and there were transitional planes too. I would think that anything up to 1925 would have to be antique and also nearly fits the 100 year mark as well.

Regards
Paul

There are many who find a rusty old hand plane and believe, because it is old, it must be valuable ... and so it remains rusty on the shelf. Even a collectable plane, unless it is in really superb condition (unless extremely rare) will have relatively little value for a collector. Clean it up and do not be afraid to use it.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek

I think you may have raised a secondary issue in the value aspect. Something can be an antique, but not automatically valuable. Once we talk of value we are into the realms or rarity and desirability as well as condition. None of these make a particular object necessarily a good object. We also have the charisma of particular product which can also include the legend (whether true or false) on a particular item. So, for example, a car raced and owned by Peter Brock may be worth much more than a similar car but not owned by a high profile figure.

Regards
Paul

Paul, I totally agree with you.

If I had a fire in my workshop, the first tool I would grab would be this worthless woodie ...



It is more valuable to me than a Marcou smoother (which costs about $3000).

Everyone who visits my workshop and recognises it wants to use it ... just to say they had.

It came with this note ...



Old Jim ... James Krenov.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Is it antique is one of those questions that will have countless answers. Likewise what is it worth. I leave collectors to argue that. Most of my planes, chisels and some saws were rescued from the rust heap. Good way to end up with good tools and still have a few bucks to buy wood. They (for me anyhow) have a value beyond dollars. Kind of keeping something going. You did a good job on the cleanup so it's surely worth more now than when you got it and its a very good plane. Has a bit of history, then been neglected a while before you rescued it. It's you'r plane now so is it worth a place in you'r shed?
Regards
John

Originally Posted by orraloon

Is it antique is one of those questions that will have countless answers. Likewise what is it worth. I leave collectors to argue that. Most of my planes, chisels and some saws were rescued from the rust heap. Good way to end up with good tools and still have a few bucks to buy wood. They (for me anyhow) have a value beyond dollars. Kind of keeping something going. You did a good job on the cleanup so it's surely worth more now than when you got it and its a very good plane. Has a bit of history, then been neglected a while before you rescued it. It's you'r plane now so is it worth a place in you'r shed?
Regards
John

Absolutely John it certainly has a place in my shed and it has become my plane after cleaning it up and I do use it and i enjoy every minute of using it. But the biggest excitement while restoring it was discovering i had a sweetheart logo on that cutter iron.

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