# Explaining "DRP" on vintage tools from Germany



## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

The above plane was an acquisition to my shop a few years ago. It is certainly a weird plane and I had very little info to go on. It was boldly labeled 'DRP' in the casting, I had assumed that was the manufacturer's name.

There was a video I watched on You-tube of a man in Germany who likes to resurrect rusty, damaged old tools and bring them back to pristeen condition. One of the relics he purchased had 'DRP' cast into it, in the same exact font as the plane above.

He explained that 'DRP' was not a manufacturer's name, but rather an indication that the item was registered as "Deutsches Reichtspatent", in other words German Empire Patent. This part was used from the early 1800's to about 1945.
For minor patents on German items, the acronym DRGM was used, Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster, German Empire Utility Model.

So if all else fails, with a DRP designation, you can assume your item is at least 74 years old, and it was manufactured in Germany. You still have the task of identifying the manufacturer, like in the case above, it's a Jordan and I never noticed the name until now! Happy Hunting!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

Interesting new info. Thanks


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## 33706 (Mar 5, 2008)

Don and others: Here's a link: 



 It gets good at the 2:40 mark, but a fascinating video overall.


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## OleGrump (Jun 16, 2017)

FYI, I've also seen breast drills marked "Jordan" and "Made in Germany", which had the same DRP stamp.


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