Clifton bench planes - the origins.

[Cheshirechappie]

I've been sorting some old paperwork lately, and come across issue 47 (December 2000) of Furniture and Cabinetmaking. It contains a (rave) review of the shortly-to-be released new range of Clifton bench planes.

Interestingly, the range is quite small - 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 sizes. Also interestingly, the pre-production examples were painted - black!

In the previous issue, a short news notice gave approximate list prices as £99-50 excluding VAT for the 3, 4 and 5, £133 ex VAT for the 6, and £144 ex VAT for the 7. It also stated that there were plans for a 4 1/2 and an 8 during the course of 2001.

A previous news report, in June 2000, previewed the bench plane release, and said that Clifton had "distant plans for a range of block planes - perhaps eighteen months down the line". Well, I suppose it took nearer eighteen years, but they got there eventually!

 

[Trafalgar]

The only bench plane missing from your list is a No. 8 (1s and 2s were always a novelty). Accordingly, I'd call the range anything but small. Looks pretty complete to me.

 

[pedder]

4 1/2
5 1/4
8

 

[Trafalgar]

Those planes were sold far less than 4, 5, 6, and 7. And of these 4, 5, and 7 comprise the core capability -- smooth, jack, and jointer.

 

[Paul Chapman]

A previous news report, in June 2000, previewed the bench plane release, and said that Clifton had "distant plans for a range of block planes - perhaps eighteen months down the line". Well, I suppose it took nearer eighteen years, but they got there eventually!

But it was worth the wait



Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

Boy would that block plane look sweet Paul, if you would just paint that black, a nice "British Racing Green"!

If Cliftons were available in 2000, then that makes my #3 pretty early (2001 or 2002 or somewhere in there). My favorite smoother, also. What makes it my favorite? The looks (green), but more importantly the iron and "Stay Set".

 

[Paul Chapman]

Boy would that block plane look sweet Paul, if you would just paint that black, a nice "British Racing Green"!

That black is actually graphite, which is not quite black. Looks OK in real life. But all my other Cliftons are green, which I'm very pleased about

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[PAC1]

I still think it needs dimples, every time I pick mine up I think how much more comfortable it would be.

 

[Mr_P]

Those planes were sold far less than 4, 5, 6, and 7. And of these 4, 5, and 7 comprise the core capability -- smooth, jack, and jointer.

In my experince there are more 4 1/2's in the world than 6+7 combined.

 

[Trafalgar]

Looking at Ebay UK there doesn't seem to be a shortage of any of these in their Stanley iterations.

4, 5, and 7 were by far the largest sellers for Stanley USA in the fullness of the company's history. I would guess the same was true for Record.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

When the bench planes were introduced, the Clifton range consisted of the four shoulder planes (400, 410, 420 and the 3110), replacement blades for the bench planes, stay-set type capirons, the multiplane and set of extra cutters, the concave and convex spokeshaves, a mitre template, card scrapers, burnisher, hand countersink, four chairmaker's spoon bits and a taper bit.

As time went on, they added a 4 1/2 and a 5 1/2 planes to the bench plane range, but little else that I know of. The parent company, Clico, produced quite an extensive range of hand and machine bits for wood boring, and tooling for morticers; I suspect this may have been a continuation of the old Morrison's range, since Clico bought their Burton Weir works when Morrison's ceased trading.

More recently, with the sale of the Clifton brand to Thomas Flinn, and the subsequent failure of Clico, the range has shrunk. The bench planes, spare blades, two-piece cap-irons (except for the 2 5/8" size), shoulder planes and spokeshaves are still available, but the multiplane, mitre template, scrapers, burnisher, countersink and spoon bits are no longer produced. A number 8 bench plane was never added to the range.

To the best of my knowledge, no modern manufacturer has offered a 5 1/4 since Stanley dropped the size from their range in 1983.

Amazing what you glean by perusing old magazines!

Edit to add - I forgot the bullnose shoulder plane! I think that was added to the range late in the Clico era, before Flinn's took over.

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you look at the Thomas Flinn website, Cheshire Chappie, you will see that the Clifton burnisher is still produced (and very good it is, too) http://www.flinn-garlick-saws.co.uk/aca ... ml#SID=535

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Thanks Paul - you're quite right! The burnisher is still available, and a very elegant tool it is too.

 

[Trafalgar]

I've had a Clifton burnisher (and set of Cliffy scrapers) for years and just love it/them. Good to hear they're still being made.

 

[Trafalgar]

Those planes were sold far less than 4, 5, 6, and 7. And of these 4, 5, and 7 comprise the core capability -- smooth, jack, and jointer.

In my experince there are more 4 1/2's in the world than 6+7 combined.

I recall reading something somewhere that 4 1/2s were much more popular in Britain than the US, Ebay listings notwithstanding.

 

[Hatherton_wood]

To the best of my knowledge, no modern manufacturer has offered a 5 1/4 since Stanley dropped the size from their range in 1983.

.

Lie Nielsen made the 5-1/4 for some years (in Bedrock style) - but they too seem to have unfortunately dropped it as well

 

[Cheshirechappie]

To the best of my knowledge, no modern manufacturer has offered a 5 1/4 since Stanley dropped the size from their range in 1983.

.

Lie Nielsen made the 5-1/4 for some years (in Bedrock style) - but they too seem to have unfortunately dropped it as well

Thank you HW, you're quite right. A rummage in my catalogue archive revealed a booklet from Axminster Power Tool Centre, featuring hand tools from Lie-Nielsen. The booklet is undated, but the address on it (mine!) dates it at post 2005. It shows the 5 1/4, in ductile iron, 11 5/8" long with 1 3/4" blade 1/8" thick in A2 steel. It quotes the weight at 4 1/4lbs. Very cute it looks, too - rather like a stretched No. 3.

As to when it was added to and dropped from the range, I'm afraid I've no clue.

 

[David C]

Very nice planes for small hands.

I have been told "the lad's jack plane"

David

 

[Max Power]

To the best of my knowledge, no modern manufacturer has offered a 5 1/4 since Stanley dropped the size from their range in 1983.

.

Lie Nielsen made the 5-1/4 for some years (in Bedrock style) - but they too seem to have unfortunately dropped it as well

I wonder how many other tools will be lost to us in response to the clamour for cheap Chinese versions ?

 

[D_W]

To the best of my knowledge, no modern manufacturer has offered a 5 1/4 since Stanley dropped the size from their range in 1983.

.

Lie Nielsen made the 5-1/4 for some years (in Bedrock style) - but they too seem to have unfortunately dropped it as well

I wonder how many other tools will be lost to us in response to the clamour for cheap Chinese versions ?

I'd imagine the 5 1/4 wasn't a great seller here any longer, either. There was a time on the internet (maybe due to collectors?) that there was a fascination with the 4 1/2, 5 1/2 and the 5 1/4 (things less common than the 3, 4, 5 and 7. I think the focus has gone more user here and less fascination with the less common types, and I can't remember the last time I saw someone bring up the 5 1/4 as an "i want" post.

I'd imagine they didn't have great luck selling them (5 1/4s) to most people. I'll bet they sell a lot of bronze 4s and 7s, though, for the same reason the market bought tons of those 125 years ago. They're very practical.