In the first couple of centuries or so A.D, The Germani tribe was dominant in northern Denmark. Following military victories, it was their tradition to hurl war booty into the nearest bog!
Just near Odense, is a massive bog called Vimose containing a considerable quantity of these war booty sacrifices. In the 1860s excavations took place there and the peaty conditions preserved a large number of wooden objects including two wooden planes, probably made by the Romans, now known as Vimose A and B. Vimose A is in remarkable condition and I am currently making a reconstruction, in boxwood, the same material as the original.
See the December 2008 issue of The Chronicle of the Early American Industries Association for a paper on this and other planes from the first millennium AD.
The plane measures only about 10” long x 1.5” wide and has a sole that is hollow which indicates that it was used to make handles for spears and lances.
The replica will eventually be placed in a private museum in Yorkshire.
I am grateful to the most helpful south of England woodturner George Foweraker kindly providing the beautiful piece of boxwood when I couldn’t locate a suitable piece. Carving is pretty well new to me, but I was pleased with the way that the boxwood worked.
Here’s the progress I’ve made so far
I’m awaiting some information on the exact angle of the iron from Denmark’s National Museum before I can finish the task.
Oh, and here’s my first Roman Plane.. 
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
13 comments so far
woodbutcherer
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30 posts in 334 days
posted 211 days ago
Ooohhh!!
I loved the last Roman plane. Seeing a new one take shape has me giddy as a school girl!
I am jealous of you for having the right contacts to be able to replicate these objects.
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CharlieM1958
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7466 posts in 1097 days
posted 211 days ago
Fascinating!
I’m sure the replica will be much finer than the original!
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Karson
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25271 posts in 1279 days
posted 211 days ago
Stewart. A fantstik trip you are taking.. I’m very glad that you are doing this for a museaum.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
kiwi1969
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593 posts in 320 days
posted 211 days ago
hope you will give us a demo before the museum gets it!
-- if the hand is not working it is not a pure hand
Grumpy
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14852 posts in 729 days
posted 211 days ago
Another great job Stewart. Those Romans sure were craftsmen.
-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python
rtb
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652 posts in 591 days
posted 211 days ago
WOW
-- RTB. "dumb animals are not stupid they simply can't talk "
badger
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39 posts in 223 days
posted 209 days ago
Amazing! I love history and recreating period crafts, so this is right up my alley.
badger
-- "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." -- Jango Fett
YorkshireStewart
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779 posts in 779 days
posted 209 days ago
Glad it’s given some pleasure folks. It’ll certainly get some use before the handover kiwi1969; I’ll report back. I often use the one with the metal soleplate.
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
badger
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39 posts in 223 days
posted 208 days ago
Other than that article (which I am working on getting a copy of eventually) what are some good sources for information and pictures of early (medieval or roman) planes and woodworking tools?
-- "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." -- Jango Fett
YorkshireStewart
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779 posts in 779 days
posted 207 days ago
Here are some bits and pieces that might be of use Badger...
http://villagecarpenter.blogspot.com/2008/03/roman-woodworking.html
http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/toolemera/2007/12/roman-woodworki.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/11/nyregion/the-various-uses-for-wood-planes.html
http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Friends+Krenovians++Countrymen.aspx
http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Romanstyle+Handplane+Completato.aspx
W.L. Goodman’s “The History of Woodworking Tools.”
http://books.google.com/books?id=DDh5yOgfnuoC&pg=PA358&vq=goodmanham&dq=roman+plane&source=gbs_search_s&sig=BwaKLTzZGB7ecQDYd3gsY29Tu1o#PPA43,M1
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems
badger
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39 posts in 223 days
posted 202 days ago
Thanks! I’ll take a look through those.
-- "I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." -- Jango Fett
JoeHe
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8 posts in 575 days
posted 198 days ago
I really like this plane. Quite beautiful. You have done an excellent job on the reproduction.
Dusty56
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3396 posts in 566 days
posted 4 days ago
Great job , Stewart….did you ever finish it ?
-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .