Amazing Record find!

[patrick]

My local tool shop is somewhat of an Aladins cave. Every time I am there I always mean (but forget) to ask if they have any old stock on their dusty shelves. Most recently I rememdered and asked after any old shoulder planes laying about.
There was some confusion as to what exactly a shoulder plane was and what it looked like. After a No5 and a 078 I was finally presented with a brand new Record 073 :shock: After some more shelf searching there was also a brand new 042 :shock: :shock:
Staff think they are at least twenty years old and nobody can remember the last time one was sold. Unfortunately there are no boxes and both planes are the unchromed sort. They still have factory protective gunk so no rust and the 042 has a small record sticker. I checked them with an engineers square and all is in order apart from the back of the mouth of the 042 which is ever so slightly off.
My question to all of you is how much do you think the two are worth? individually and together? I have a rough Idea and have been given a price for both but would be interested to know what forum members think.

 

[George_N]

Check on ebay. Just search with 'shoulder plane'. There is a Record 042 currently at £60 with 5 days still to go on the auction. If the shop will let you have them for much less than that you could even have a nice little earner.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Patrick,

You lucky so and so :evil: It all depends on what they are worth to you. Given that they are, in effect, new you could look up the price of today's equivalent (the Clifton 420 is similar, I think, to the Record 042) http://www.axminster.co.uk/category.asp ... GN06N0VIMJ

The Clifton is probably better made but it would give you an idea.

The nearest to the 073 made today is the Lie Nielsen - but that's in a different price, and quality, bracket.

Hope this helps

Paul

 

[patrick]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Arrrgh the dilemma. I am soon to start a cabinet making course so these planes will be a significant investment for me.
I have been offered them individually for 100. I think thats a bit steep.For that money an Ebay second hand Record or new Veritas/Clifton is more tempting. 150 pounds for both of them really ups the ante though.
The machining on them is not exactly first class which leads me to suspect they were last of the line. The Iron cap thread of the 042 is a little loose in the hand rest and when tightened looks off center. The general finnish on both does not seem to match that of older Records. Does anyone know when record stopped shoulder plane production and is there a big difference in quality compared to older planes?

Thanks.

 

[lugo35]

i have looked at a few tool shops online selling old tools these planes go for £80-£140 depending on condition.

 

[Anonymous]

Patrick

Sounds way too expensive to me for what they are. I wouldn't pay £100 for both, never mind one. I bought the veritas medium shoulder for £80 ish brand spanking new.

I say you should buy the two veritas and get twice the quality for vey little extra money - veritas shoulder planes are absolute top quality (I have two shoulder and the bull nose too )

 

[Paul Chapman]

Patrick,

For what it's worth, I've come to the conclusion that there is a lot of nostalgia attached to older tools that's not matched by the quality of the tools themselves. Having fiddled about with Record and Stanley stuff for 30+ years, I've recently bought three Clifton bench planes (#7, #6 & #4.5) and a Veritas low angle block plane and, WOW, the quality and difference in performance has to be seen to be believed :shock: :shock:

I also have a Record 077 shoulder plane which I bought new in the 1970's and from looking at the Clifton shoulder planes at shows, the Cliftons are much better quality

Things have moved on and the best stuff being produced today by the likes of Clifton, Veritas and Lie Nielsen is where it's at 8) 8)

If you can, go for the better stuff - you only have to buy it once :wink:

Paul

 

[patrick]

Thanks for the great advice Paul and Tony.I must admit to being a bit overcome with nostalgia and the thought of leaving these two strays behind is getting to me. I might have to toss a coin for this one. All the other alternatives are much more expensive though. But then again buying cheap is expensive. Oh the torment!

At least I can get my money back on Ebay if I decide to upgrade further down the line :wink:

 

[deirdre]

I know what you mean about strays, especially Record strays, which I happen to be unusually fond of.

Japan Woodworker (in my area of California) still has Record # 4 and #5 stock. I keep wanting to buy them for some silly reason. Price is around USD $100 each, but I could get an LN for triple that.

Of course, it wouldn't be bright blue.

 

[Alf]

The 042 stopped being produced by 1980, the 073 by 1994.

If they had their boxes I'd say buy 'em and sell them in another 20 years, but as they don't, well the Veritas planes are more user-friendly IMO. Plus any additional value the Records have at the moment would be wiped out as soon as you removed the factory grease. However, while at £100 each they're at dealer price I reckon, at £150 for the two they're frankly a bit more alluring. It is indeed a tricky one. On balance I think personally I'd only spring for them with the intention to sell on straight away, and it's a bit of a gamble even then.

Cheers, Alf

 

[lugo35]

they are tools that dont get much use so is it worth spending ££££ on flashy planes , even if they do the same job a little better?????

 

[Alf]

they are tools that dont get much use so is it worth spending ££££ on flashy planes , even if they do the same job a little better?????

Ah, but if they're more pleasant to use isn't there every likelihood you'll reach for them more often and thus use them more?

Cheers, Alf (Tool Pusher)

 

[lugo35]

but if you cut the shoulders right the first time you should'nt need them
he he he if only

 

[Alf]

he he he if only

Amen!