I have been collecting and restoring old Stanley planes for a couple of years now.
On my to acquire list was a “transition” plane.
I recently visited my 92 yr old dad in Fla. and mentioned that I was collecting planes.
He suggested that I go to the back shop (he has 2) and see what was on the shelf.
And there among some other less attractive planes was a Stanley-Baily #35 … OMG!
He told me it was his grandfather’s and handed it to me to keep …
Now it’s restored and has taken a place with the other antique tools I have.
For a person that has about every tool you can imagine including hand tools, power tools, and CNC tools there is something curious about pushing a plane through a piece of wood. Feeling and hearing that crisp sound as a shaving exits its throat is surprisingly soothing. I am amazed how a well-tuned plane can yield a surface that is every bit as smooth, flat, and square as my jointer.
I often pause and marvel that there was a time when woodworkers built houses and furniture with these tools. It’s even more impressive when you realize that the tool steel and sharpening methods weren’t nearly as advanced as we have today. With modern stones and jigs, it still takes me an hour to form an acceptably sharp edge!
