Millers Falls No.14. Thoughts Please....

[WoodAddict]

I took a gamble on a plane at the boot sale today. I'd not heard of the name but something told me that I should buy it...... so I did!

It's a Millers Falls No.14 made in the USA. It's 14" long and the blade is 2" wide. It needs a bit of a tidy up to make it look nice but it works fine without any fettling at all. Once the blade is sharp I'm sure it will be good. I just wondered if anybody has one or knows of the name and any general thoughts on whether I did the right thing in buying it.

How much would you pay for one?

Thanks
Paul

 

[Dan-K]

Ahh. The famous Millers Falls No. 14, type 3

My first thought was 'Stanley number 5 copy'...and indeed it seems they were similar, but differentiated the brand in a number of ways, notably with a hinged lever cap on earlier models (which yours has) and red paint.

Fortunately there is an excellent resource online at Oldtoolheaven that contains a wealth of information about these planes, which has taught me all I know in the last 10 minutes :lol:

As for how much I'd pay? Well, if it works well with a bit of fettling then I'm guessing I'd personally pay a price similar to a Stanley No. 5 of comparable vintage (and maybe just a little extra for the the cachet of having something 'a bit different' :wink: ). But I know nothing about what it would be worth to a collector.

I look forward to seeing it after its been fettled