# Hand Plane Identification Help Please



## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Hello all of you hand plane users and collectors. Today I purchased this hand plane and I am trying to figure out who manufactured it. The antique shop that i bought it from didn't seem to know. It is 10 inches long from front arch to rear arc measuring the sole. The front handle is right at the front edge with no markings. At the back by the handle it says Made In USA. The frog has a U 7 in the casting. No other markings I could find. There is an adjuster to skew the blade. Everything moves freely and needs to be cleaned.

Thanks in advance.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

You will probably need a photo for this one.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Wayne I was posting photos as you were writing. I hit the send button before adding picks.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Thanks. I would say it is going to be hard to identify the specific manufacture. It looks like a 50-60s smoothing plane. It originally probably had stickers on it and would have been targeted towards a home handyman.


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## lysdexic (Mar 21, 2011)

Innis & Gunn make the beer. Just trying to help.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Its good beer.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

I took the plane apart. It is a #8 and has stamped behind the back handle a u in a circle and what looks like may be an "m" or an 11.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Interesting piece. Normally nowadays, the Circle U "OU" means that it's certified Kosher. I'm not sure when that came into being. Your plane could be from before that time.
The lateral lever looks like a Sargent, but that doesn't mean much, it could have been changed at any time. Conversely, it may be original, and the frog or the chip breaker may have been changed.
The sole and the fore knob look like early to mid 20th century Sargent, if you could take it apart and post pictures of the pieces, I'm sure that Wayne or someone just as knowledgeable could give you some help.
The adjustment knob is what is bothering me, it doesn't look like a Stanley or a Sargent, although I just don't know enough about either one to be definitive.
I have a Sargent 409 and a Sargent 414C that have both had parts changed on them. The sole on yours looks like a Sargent 409 and is about the right length.
Take nothing I say as gospel, I'm still learning about the planes I have.

Good Luck!

DF


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

*@ Dallas* Like the tag line.

Been searching the web and it seems that this plane was made by the Union Plane Company. Not a lot of info but I am going to keep poking around. I will post any info I find that may help others.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

mrg ive got a couple of union planes myself a #3 and #4 .. probably a bit earlier than that one, ill take a look and see if there any similar markings.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

Started the clean up of this plane. She is cleaning up pretty well. The plane is in overall decent shape. The part that the blade sits on is stamped. I will replace the blade, any suggestions on who to get the blade from?


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

No such luck on the markings ….


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

a lot of the guys really like the Hock irons (try woodcraft or rockler) or find yourself another garage sale find and steal the iron (or keep buying more planes like the rest of us junkies lol)


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

i didnt mean to say steal things from people, darn no proof reading. What i meant to say was find a garage sale with a beat up old plane, PURCHASE THE PLANE, and use it for parts. Sorry bout that.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

I knew what you meant


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Also, spare blades can be found on ebay…. It always pay to look at cracked, pitted and other wise ugly planes. Many times they have good parts on them such as blades, screws, knobs, etc…

Relative to the Hock blade discussion above. I've been using them in most of my planes and am very happy with them.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I missed the part about the blade. Why does it need replacing? It looked fairly decent in the pictures.


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## mrg (Mar 10, 2010)

The blade could be sharpened, it is very thin. I will clean it up and see how it does.


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## blackcherry (Dec 7, 2007)

This is what is refer to a stamp hand plane. These type plane were mast production plane with very little quality given to real high end result like the early Stanley plane. The main draw back are the frogs, no matter how much time spent on sharping the blade and surfacing up the sole these frog will not hold for a sturdy planing, end result is a whole lot of chatter. I telling you this because I would hate for you to spend your time in restoring and buying a nice blade like a Hock for this type unit. Basically it a good paper weight or decorative ornament sorry for the discouraging news….Blkcherry


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