The GENIUS of GABRIEL

[jimi43]

I don't think it's too much of a secret that I have a soft spot for the masterpieces of the prolific Christopher Gabriel.

Some would say that I have a little collection but I prefer to see them as a gathering of Gabriels just waiting for their chance to create something else. I certainly use most of them or know that I will use each one at sometime or other in the future.

When my dear daughter send me a grabbed picture of a bunch of planes in a little antique shop in Faversham, Kent....I considered it worth a trip to check out what was on offer.

Amongst a fine but incomplete collection of Crows (Canterbury) there was but one plough and imagine the glee when I realised that this was not of Kentish origin but another fine example of Christopher's workshop.

It does bear the scars of over 200 years of work such as broken wedges........

...but I have no intention of making new ones...these work and therefore will be considered working battle scars, keeping the originality.

It came with only one iron...but I have a Hildick set which seem to work fine on this plane...this is the smallest one which I will be using to create a little channel for some work in the observatory....

A quick test on some oak produced a rather crisp channel to the required depth...as this model incorporates an adjustable depth stop which can be locked down and is a very high class mechanism indeed...

All in all...another one for the gathering...and worth every penny of the £20 it set me back!

Cheers

Jimi

 

[undergroundhunter]

What a lovely find!

Matt

 

[AndyT]

I'm pleased to see that your astronomy habit is giving way to woodwork, but a bit shocked to see you buying tools from actual shops!

(But then... how many other 18th century artefacts did they have on sale for so little... that are both useful and ornamental!)

Keep 'em coming.

 

[Corneel]

Lovely indeed. I love old English planes too, and getting something from the 18th century is special. Alas, no suitable carboots overhere.

 

[richarnold]

Hi Jimi. great find. 18th century ploughs are a passion of mine, so it's nice to see them turn up. I sometimes find it surprising how many early ones do still survive, but I have a theory about this. Due to the fact that they have 8 blades to choose from, I have often wondered if older damaged planes were kept in service for a particular often repeated process. Your plane has a couple of interesting features. firstly the brass plates to the top of the arms are of an unusual design that is peculiar to Gabriel. From the earliest ploughs, right through to the 20th century, they are usually in the form of a diamond, but Gabriel used a round shape with small spurs on ether side. I have only come across one other maker who used this style, and that is George Stothert of Bath. This has made me wonder if Gabriel was supplying Stothert at one point.
The other interesting feature of your plane is what is known as the church window aperture in the side of the stock to give a locking point for the depth stop. As yet, I have never seen this feature on an 18th century plough. This possibly dates the plane to the latter end of Gabriel's career
One other thing, thank you for using it for it's intended purpose. I feel the only way we can fully understand these tools is if we use them at the bench.
Cheer's, Richard

 

[Corneel]

Do these spurs on the brass plates have a point which is driven into the wood? The diamond shaped ones often have two screws (I think, sitting on the couch now and too lazy to walk outside into the cold).

 

[Tony Spear]

George Stothert of Bath. Richard

Blimey! Would that be the Stothert of "Stothert & Pitt"?

 

[richarnold]

George Stothert of Bath. Richard

Blimey! Would that be the Stothert of "Stothert & Pitt"?

A quick check on google, and yes. they are one and the same. Thank you for that, as British planemakers does not mention the connection
You learn something new every day