# Corsair hand planes?



## lumberjoe

In rummaging through my dads garage the other day looking for a flat file, I found a wooden box of old tools. In there was a pretty nice but dusty hand plane. I asked him where he got it. Apparently it was his grandfathers. My dad has never used it.

It says "Corsair" on the front of it. I know they made *air*planes, but did they make hand planes? Judging my my great grandfathers age, this would have been bought in the teens to MAYBE mid 1940's


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## woodworker59

what no pics?


> ?


 hard to say without seeing…. good luck finding out…


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## lumberjoe

I'm headed over again this weekend. I'll be sure to bring a camera this time.


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## bent

i have one, but it says "corsair by great neck" on it. i don't think it's as old as yours though. i don't know if corsair was a manufacturer that got bought out by great neck, or if corsair is just a model name.


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## 33706

This just arrived in the mailbox: A Corsair C-4 in pretty nice shape, looks like it's hardly ever been used. Just a bit of oxidation, and I really like the barn red! Kool color! 
Product of Great Neck.. Yucko! but I'll hone it up and see what it can do.


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## CharlieM1958

Dang it, that's* mint*, poopie.


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## lumberjoe

I really need to get some pics. I'll do it sunday. THe one I have is not red and doesn't look much like that at all from what I can remember. There is something in front of that metal pieced that holds the blade in - sorry I know nothing about planes. It has the old world war II Corsair logo on it and a red, white and blue stripe.


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## 33706

You're correct, *lumberjoe!* I've never seen a Corsair without the logo on the lever cap, and if this one didn't come with the box and all I'd be wondering… But it does have 'Corsair' cast into the body behind the front knob. Yours would probably be an earlier example. Undoubtedly, Great Neck shopped around for manufacturers over the years to produce their planes. In real life the color is a true barn red, not the orangey red as it appears in the photo.

*Charlie:* Yeah, it's a survivor all right, probably didn't see the light of day too often, looks like a factory grind on the cutter.


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## lumberjoe

Here are some pics (finally)


















I also found this, no markings on it at all:


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## donwilwol

Joe, clean up the top of the iron on the transitional. It might be a sargent, so you should see a brand under the rust.


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## bandit571

Sorry to reopen this one, PK. But, lookie what I found!









I guess they made Jack planes as well. It now has a cambered, SHARP iron on board.


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## 33706

Nice one, Bandit! Wish I could remember who's who on the HOYD thread, those who like Corsairs and who hated them. There was quite the discussion about Corsairs, about 2000 comments ago. Wonder which was the better line, the Corsairs or their parent company, Great Neck??/ Here's one currently on eBay: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Vintage-Corsair-Woodworking-Bench-Plane-Made-In-U-S-A-Great-Neck-Tools-N-Y-/370772919504?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5653c9c4d0


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## donwilwol

I'm not a fan, but scrap metal is up…....


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## racerglen

Don..;-)


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## 33706

But… please save those Corsair logo stickers, peel them off the tote and send them to me first….
Hmmm, weren't 'Corsairs' declared *'Unsafe At Any Speed*"??? LOL


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## bandit571

Unsafe at any speed were the Corvairs, by GM. I like the Corsair line, at least the wood handled ones. Great Neck? Hate them. Could NEVER get the plane tight, always seemed "looose" inside. Them black or brown PLASTIC handles? Junk, along with the plane under them. I should know, two of my first ever bench planes were from Great Neck. All that is left of the two "Boat Anchors"









was a finger-grip style tote, made of plastic.


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## Bearcontrare

I have a Corsair smooth plane that was my grandfather's. He took it with him when installing his custom made kitchen cabinets " in case something didn't fit just right" ( AS IF….. 8^)
When I got ot, I hated it, because the ugly purple stained tote was too fat to be held comfortably. I SHOULD have just replaced it with a modern wooden tote, but instead, I spent the time cutting and shaping the original so it feels good in one's hand. After reshaping the tote, sharpening the blade and a little tuning, it's enjoyable to use. No " name brand dropping" bragging privileges come with owning it, but it's a good feeling using some of Pop-pop's tools.


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## 33706

Unwatch.


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