Tools for lathes

[caretaker]

Hi all,
I have just been handed down some turning tools, 20 in all.
They are fairly old but with a bit of cleaning up and sharpening will do me a turn.
I was going to give them a rub with some fine emery paper or wire wool and on some, renew the handles.
On a lot of them they have a picture of an acorn, dose this mean anything to any one?
It is nice to have something that was used years ago and give them a new lease of life.
Reg
I have found an other name on one chisel Isaac !!!!! will have to continue cleaning them up to see more.
I was told that they belonged to a ladies fathers father, that would be grandad, I recone 1920 ish, did they have lathes then?

 

[greybeard]

You may just have got a winner or two there Reg!

The acorn has been used by Henry Taylor (Sheffield toolmakers since just after the ark I think) for a long time - you could check their website for some acorn images.

If they're all from the 1920s or thereabouts they'll be carbon steel rather than the more modern high speed steel (HSS) - that's not a problem! The only real difference is that they lose their edge quicker than HSS, but hey, you can still buy carbon steel tools if you want, they're perfectly functional.

You could also do some browsing on Ebay on say 'old chisel' or 'vintage chisel' (everything more than 6 months old is 'vintage' on Ebay) - there appears to be a number of serious collectors out there who snap up such items. So the sellers describe them thoroughly, which might give you a clue or two in identifying your own collection for sure....but they sound pretty good to me.

Enjoy your acorns!

 

[La Truciolara]

...
I was told that they belonged to a ladies fathers father, that would be grandad, I recone 1920 ish, did they have lathes then?

:lol:
Of course! and even before. On a French encyclopaedia date 1745 you can already see very complex lathes on which you could even turn oval shapes, pentagones ecc.
Hardly any thing is new on our todays lathes but the electronic variable speed device.
At that time speed was already variable.... you just had to push on the pedal slowlier or to close a bit the water which was actioning the water mill. :wink: