Unusual plane, what is it?

[AndyT]

That's really weird. I can't recall ever seeing anything like that. Just when you think you know a little bit about old tools, a curve ball like this comes crashing in!

Looks nothing like a curve ball. My guess is some kind of plane as the O.P suggests.

I'd be interested and quite surprised if you can produce a picture of another plane that resembles this one.

 

[Osvaldd]

Got another one for yous. Listing has ended, sold for £180. What is that?

 

[Rich C]

It says right on the side, Howkins Plane.

http://www.handplane.com/52/the-howkins-plane/

 

[Osvaldd]

thanks

 

[Nigel Burden]

Here is an article from Handplane Central.

http://www.handplane.com/52/the-howkins-plane/

Nigel.

 

[Flartybarty]

My guess is that it is a router. One of the annoying things about Stanley/Record, etc, routers is the narrowness of the iron and sole so if you are smoothing the bottom of a wide recess you either have to fit a temporary base to your router (the No 71 and 71-1/2 have provision for this) which is unsatisfactory or plan each pass so you always have a surface to run on. This plane a) avoids all that and b) routs out a wider cut. Very useful if you do a lot of wide recesses - something likely if you're a pattern maker. As to whether this is user made or not, I'm inclined to think it is even though pattern makers planes are usually brass.

 

[Orraloon]

You can see it could be used as a wide cutting router up to a point. The rear handle however would tend to dip into the trench as it's narrower than the blade but I guess after some use a person could get the hang of it. I dont think you could go very deep without blade chatter either. Whatever task was in mind caused it to be made. Pattern making is as likely an answer as any.
Regards
John

 

[Nigel Burden]

It's a plough plane.

Nigel.