Craftsman rabbet plane

[WiebeLC]

I cleaned up this craftsman rabbet plane yesterday. I found some online but I couldn't find an explanation of how long they were made. The only concrete thing I found was that the 107 prefix in the model number (107-37039) meant that the plane was manufactured by Millers Falls. Any assistance will be appreciated.

[Branson]

Not a lot of help, I suppose, but I have one that is dressed up in the later gray and red instead of black.  I saw another of the gray and red versions on eBay not long ago.

[Bill Houghton]

Sears contracted with several different makers over the years for their duplex rabbet planes.  I owned a Sargent-made, Craftsman-badged one for a bit; gave it to my son.

A comprehensive history of that kind of thing would require someone with a really strong obsessive gene and access to every year of Sears/Craftsman catalog.

Regardless, the duplex rabbet is an extremely useful plane.  Some people denigrate them as "carpenter's planes," but they're way more useful than that.

[HeelSpur]

Any idea who the maker is on this one? Only letters are "made in usa".

[Bill Houghton]

It has the look of a Stanley: the adjuster lever, the extra ribbing along the inside top, the cloverleaf nicker, the hollow handle.  Do you have the fence for it?

I assume you cleaned off the iron well enough to confirm that there's no maker's stamp there - on a lot of the Stanley planes, the only place you'll find "Stanley" is on the cutting iron, at the top.

[HeelSpur]

It has the look of a Stanley: the adjuster lever, the extra ribbing along the inside top, the cloverleaf nicker, the hollow handle.  Do you have the fence for it?

I assume you cleaned off the iron well enough to confirm that there's no maker's stamp there - on a lot of the Stanley planes, the only place you'll find "Stanley" is on the cutting iron, at the top.

There is writing on the cutting iron, but didn't think that would be the maker. I'll have to check, I believe it said Ward or something, can't remember.
No fence bought it as is.

[HeelSpur]

It says "Wardsmaster" on the iron.

[HeelSpur]

Found this one, description says its an exact Stanley copy.
http://s57.photobucket.com/user/cybermecium/media/2011/july%2012/DSCN5624_1024x768.jpg.html

[scottg]

By the time both of these were made, Stanley's patent had run out and even the copyright design was finished. 100 years is a long time
Could have been Stanley or Millers, or any jackleg shop with an iron foundry made these.
The big hardware chains went with lowest bidder as far back as 1900.

  Sometimes nobody bid low and they sold top quality merchandise. This happened on and off all through time.
  A few hardware brands actually sold full top quality goods all the time. Our Very Best, Keen Kutter, a few more.  Usually this was because they offered cheaper lines at the same time. Good, better, best kind of thing.
Other times somebody would be on hard times and forced to make a low bid. This is how you got Sargent and Millers Falls making tools for Sears, who never paid much.  Corners would be cut to satisfy the low bids, so 8 times out of 10, any tool marked with a hardware brand is less than the full manufacturer product.

   The only defense you have is to familiarize yourself with the top quality products and watch for the telltale signs.  Then the Lakeside chisel, that was actually made by Whitherby in its best form, can be had for much less than the Whitherby marked chisel.
You just have to learn to steer clear of the lower grade Lakeside chisels, which were just awful.
     yours Scott 

PS If you want an iron rabbit plane to keep and use, my own easy tell tale sign of the best ever made, is a bottom spur on the tote. When you see a spur coming off the bottom of the tote, as well as the top, you are looking at a top grade tool. They don't usually cost much if any more, when you find them.

[HeelSpur]

That's great info Scott and explains a lot, thank you.