So, what's been happening this Month? It's certainly been an interesting one, with some fantastic and interesting vintage tool purchases. New chess set designs and a few unusual requests for chess sets. We've also seen the start of the Christmas rush.
You don't see these very often
In a recent auction purchase, I stumbled across this stunningly crafted Vintage Stanley No.92 Butt Gauge (now stop the sniggering in the back!). I'll be honest I didn't know it was there until I got home and cleaned it up, imagine my surprise!
Started in New Britain, USA, in 1843, Frederick Stanley created a small shop, to manufacture bolts, hinges, and other hardware from wrought iron. With consistent innovation and improvement, the company, then known as 'The Stanley Works', defined excellence, and so did its' products.
The Stanley No.92 is often called 'the finest Butt Gauge ever produced by the Stanley Rule & Level Company'! Priced at almost double the cost of their top line No.77 Rosewood Mortise Gauge, the No.92 was an extremely 'high end' tool for the most demanding user. Constructed of solid brass, rosewood, and steel, the gauge is an exceptionally well made and attractive tool that is ingeniously designed and incredibly useful.
Based on the Patent issued to Justus Traut, it was introduced in 1892 and discontinued in 1939, making in a rare find in the UK. It was the first gauge by Stanley specifically designed as a 'Butt Gauge' which featured a movable dual cutter which once set, (for the thickness of the butt hinge), could be used to mark both the door and the jamb without the need for readjustment.
Although, Stanley went on to produce a number of lower cost Butt gauges using similar design elements, these later tools were designed specifically for gauging butts. Where the No.92 also performs as a Marking and Mortise Gauge and is certainly the most versatile Gauge that Stanley produced.
Stanley is known to have been intermittent in marking gauges with their logo, however, this Gauge is clearly marked with 'Stanley, New Britian, Conn, USA, No.92'. An exceptionally stunning tool that represents the finest of it's type ever produced by Stanley.
In excellent, used condition, with the usual age related wear. Operating flawlessly, this example is complete with the often missing steel scribe, between the brass case and the rosewood head. The rosewood head shows only minimal wear from use and suffers no chips or cracks. All three scribe points are present and at or near their original full length. A fantastic piece of history, wrapped up in beautiful piece of tool making that is in excellent working condition.
A real piece of history
Carrying on with vintage tools we stumbled upon a cabinet makers tool box, complete with approximately 50 various moulding, smoothing, jack and coffin planes at Astra Antiques, which is located at the Old RAF Hemswell at Hemswell Cliff, Lincolnshire, UK well we couldn't leave it so it came home with us!
After much painstaking cleaning and oiling all of the planes have now been rejuvenated, the saws need a little TLC and the box has been deconstructed ready to be repaired. The intention is to rebuild the box complete with tools and offer it to one lucky buyer. The tools are in excellent condition, many of them well over 100 years old. They really are a piece of British craftsman heritage and we'd love to see the collection go to a good home.
Please us the contact us link to drop us an email if you'd like to be notified when we make the listing live. It will probably be a once in a lifetime offer to own such a beautiful collection.
Handmade Christmas
The holiday season is quickly approaching and our little studio is brimming over with chess sets in various stages of completion. The image shows our colouring bench with its multitude of sets all waiting patiently to be completed so they can be shipped in time for December deliveries.
There's no real surprises on the bench, same as last year Cats, Ornate Staunton and Lewis seem to be the sets of preference with Skulls, Gothic Statues and Gothic Heads also proving popular choices.
We have received a couple of requests this year about a horses set and were really excited when one client placed an order for a bespoke set for his daughter. We are so happy with the result that we've decided to make it a made to order set.
Towards the end of summer we picked up a 1960's fantasy set and after much head scratching research discovered that it is based on Demon Gods of the Underworld. We love it so much that we've made our own moulds and our first set is now available to purchase.
If you're thinking about purchasing one of our sets please do so ASAP as time is running out for made to order items (it may have already run out depending when you're reading this). We do have a limited number of sets in stock ready to ship, but worry ye not we can always provide you with a gift certificate if your set won't be with you in time for gifting on the big day.
Well that's all for now, see you in the next edition of What's on the bench?
