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Thread: Marking vintage hand tools

  1. #1
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    Marking vintage hand tools

    Over the years, like many here, I have collected old hand tools from flea markets, antique stores etc.....
    Many, like wooden hand planes, have the previous owners markings on them. Before I put my mark on them, is there proper etiquette to how and where to place your mark?
    "Remember back in the day, when things were made by hand, and people took pride in their work?"
    - Rick Dale

  2. #2
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    The first rule is: Do no damage.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
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  3. #3
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    Do you work in a shop with others who could potentially walk off with your tool? Is your insurance based on having your name stamped on each tool, as we are apocryphally told? If so, stamp away as the original owners did. If not, I'd have a real hard time stamping anything other than the most dirt-common wooden planes.
    Your endgrain is like your bellybutton. Yes, I know you have it. No, I don't want to see it.

  4. #4
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    I know others will differ with me. But as I get older, the more I like seeing the mark on older tools as having a living history. That is, someone was proud enough of the tool to mark it. Rick, as you have, I also have wondered the same thing regarding marking my collected tools with initials and perhaps year I acquired them. I have a hand plane (a pristine Stanley 3 that I think is from the 50's) that was my Grandpa's I think, and then my Dad's before I got it. When my Dad passed away was when I started to really appreciate and collect old hand tools. I would love to put Grandpa's initials and year, Dad's initials and year and finally my initials and year. Alas, my Dad passed away before I thought to ask him the lineage and approximate years each of them had the tool. As I collect and restore tools these days, I think more and more about only acquiring nice but user-quality tools to USE and to pass on to my boys (and maybe my daughter if she would get the bug). If I had the information, I would mark each tool I have collected with the original owners' initials and years.

    Many tools being collected by my fellow Creekers are easily in the 50-75 year old range (I meant tools but it goes for many Creekers as well). And many tools are in the 100 year + age (I sincerely hope there are or will be Creekers out there still woodworking at their 100 year mark!!!). A nicely restored vintage tool (and some of the nicer new tools by quality makers) will likely outlast a good many of the projects that are currently being made with the tools. (No matter how beautiful the project may be). I would like for my children and hopefully grandchildren to get pleasure of using these tools while thinking of me (using the tools). At least that is what I tell myself when acquiring the 7th or 8th chisel of the same width and type!

    So I am with Rick Dale, in that I would love to have thoughts from others based on Rick and me saying "forget keeping the market value high", we want to mark them (at least I do) as a living history. What would be the best method and placement? For me it marking would be for metal planes and chisels mostly. I especially would like to figure out how to mark the chisels and tools that I have made (and will make).

    Kind Regards to All . . . Allen
    No, the sky is not falling - just chunks of it are.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by allen long View Post
    I know others will differ with me. But as I get older, the more I like seeing the mark on older tools as having a living history. That is, someone was proud enough of the tool to mark it.
    I agree. Mark it distinctly and separately from the other markings and call it good. On the other hand, if you are donating to a museum then leave as is. For a working man's tool there is no shame in identifying it as your own.

  6. #6
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    Tools were marked where men worked in shops around other men also using tools. If you do not,I would not deface the tool by needlessly adding another mark. I do agree that OLD marks are part of the history of a tool. But,it was not necessarily done to show pride of ownership. It prevented theft. Or,prevented the "honest"workmen from permanently "borrowing" your tools.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by george wilson View Post
    Tools were marked where men worked in shops around other men also using tools. If you do not,I would not deface the tool by needlessly adding another mark. I do agree that OLD marks are part of the history of a tool.
    This is a pretty short sided view. In 100 years the new owner might like to see the full history. Like I said earlier, this isn't a museum piece for gosh sake.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by allen long View Post
    So I am with Rick Dale, in that I would love to have thoughts from others based on Rick and me saying "forget keeping the market value high", we want to mark them (at least I do) as a living history. What would be the best method and placement? For me it marking would be for metal planes and chisels mostly. I especially would like to figure out how to mark the chisels and tools that I have made (and will make).
    I like the idea of the living history of a tool. It never occured to me to mark the year I aquired the tool. I don't think many of my tools could ever become collector's items so I am probably ok to mark them. As far as marking tools you make...I have looked into "electro-etching." I have an old laptop powersupply cracked open in my shop now that I want to use to mark a few things. I will have to post results.

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