Early Bedrock planes

[Brian Akers]

I know there's a couple of threads going on, even recent but didn't want to high jack someone else's thread.
I picked up these two Bedrock planes for $20 each. Thought they were frankinplanes at first cause of the round sides and single digit number.

Turns out, one is a no. 5 type 1 (two dates on the lateral adjustment). The other is a no. 4 type 2 (single date on lateral adjustment)

Couldn't believe it! $20 each!

I realize the curved sides aren't as desirable but what about single digit planes?
Can't find any on ebay either.

Are these users or collectors? (Or both)
Should I do a full clean up on these or just try and get the surface rust off and just let them be?
and of course, value. We all want to know the value. And we all want it to be high! Hahaha either way I'm thrilled with the purchases and I can't do much better than $20 each.
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[Mike Henderson]

I'd do a full cleaning and then use them. But that's me. I like my tools to look "like new".

I don't know prices of those Bedrocks, but I doubt if they're worth a fortune. The relatively small amount of money you might make selling them will be lost and forgotten quickly. Use them in your woodwork and pass them along to family or another woodworker. In a way, we're all just caretakers of these old tools.

Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Though the price is good, those two planes will likely not bring much more than what you paid.

Spruce them up and use them. Even repainting them isn't going to destroy the value.

In my opinion, the round sides look better than the flat tops. But the market is fickle and everyone else wants the flat tops.

BTW, the lever caps are likely valued close to what you paid for each plane. As is often the case the parts sold separately would likely bring more than the plane sold as a whole.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Jim,

I have Transitionals, Baileys, and Bedrocks. I bet you do also.

I don't really use the transitional plane, but could if I want to. It is in a display case that I made at Homestead Heritage when Paul sellers was there many years ago.

[Stew Denton]

Brian,

Yes and Yes.

Hey, I have to say it, "ya did good."

+1 on cleaning them up and using them, I am in exactly the same camp as Jim and Mike. They make excellent user planes.

Although I almost always agree with Jim on planes histories, etc., and he is certainly more knowledgeable than I am on the history of planes, etc., in this case I disagree with Jim a bit, and I believe the two planes are worth quite a bit more than you paid for them since you only paid $20 each for them. The prices go up and down on the auction site so the amount the planes bring seems to vary a lot.

The type 1s, and to a slightly lesser extent, the type 2s, bring more than the later versions of the round sides.

Generally, I guess, most antique collectors want original un-restored condition items. However, in the case of the Bedrock and Bailey planes, and I have watched prices of them on the auction site for quite some time, the planes that have been restored almost always bring more money than the ones that aren't as nice looking.

The type 1s should bring 50% more than the same plane that is neither a type 1 or type 2. However, the flat side planes bring more than the round side planes. I have wanted either a type 1 or type 2 Bedrock plane for a long time, but can't justify the prices that they often ask because for me they are going to be a user. Thus unless the price would be near that of the ordinary Bed Rock Round side I can't justify the extra price in my own mind, and I now have enough user planes that I am certainly not in need of another plane.

I said all that to say this. The price of Bed Rocks on that auction site seems to be relatively low lately, at least from the small amount I have watched it lately, and I certainly have not kept very good track lately. If I had your planes, cleaned up into beautifully restored condition, I would want $150 each. Whether you would get that, I don't know. I have watched the Bed Rock prices on there enough to know that sometimes what the things sell for, both too high and too low, leaves me scratching my head.

Personally if one of yours came up "as is" I would give $100 for it and probably not much more, since even though I like the old Bed Rock, I am a user not a collector. However, my point is that if I would give $100 for it, there are probably others who would bid that much, or more, also. Beyond that, I would only bid on one of them, because I would see no reason to have more than 1 type 1 or type 2. (It would be pretty cool to show my grand kids, when they get a lot bigger, that "this plane that I have been using was made in 1898 or 1899.)

At any rate, I don't predict what the weather will be in two weeks, and I don't pretend to know what a given Bed Rock plane will auction for on that site, and I put the those two things in the same unknowable category.

Anyway, again, like the guys above, if it were me I would clean them up, put them in a tool chest or cabinet, use them, and would be tickled pink with having two more good user planes, and especially user Bed Rock planes.

Stew

[Brian Akers]

Thanks guys!

I think I'm just gonna clean them up and use them. Probably won't find another deal like these. Or at least these deals are far and few between.

Stew, are you referring to ebay or a different auction site?

[Stew Denton]

Hi Brian,

A lot of times on this site, folks refer to ebay as "the bay auction site, that auction site, or the auction site."

Stew

[lowell holmes]

Check this article. I have three Knight planes. They are pleasant to use.

http://www.handplane.com/7/knight-to...id-handplanes/

Forget it, the site is down. I guess Steve rode off into the sunset. TOO BAD.

[Brian Akers]

Hi Brian,

A lot of times on this site, folks refer to ebay as "the bay auction site, that auction site, or the auction site."

Stew

Haha I figured, just making sure I wasn't missing out on something.