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Editor’s note: This is a guest blog post from Chris Killinger, owner of Killinger Woodsmen Gear and Tool, and new instructor at the Artisans Guild.
When shopping for a vintage axe the choices can be overwhelming. You will encounter many to choose from but not all are worth saving. Some are real treasures! I always say "It’s all about the Hunt", and it really is. Nothing is more exciting than finding a rare axe hiding in the corner of an antique mall. Until then, we can be content saving the more common ones. Here are a few things to look out for when shopping to ensure you get the best bang for the buck. The Stanley 45 has slightly different abilities when compared to the 55. At it's core, it can cut grooves, rabbets, dadoes, tongue and groove, beads, slit, and sash. Only with add-on cutters could the 45 being to cut additional decorative profiles. Here are a few examples of the Stanley 45 in action.
In 1899 the Stanley 55 Combination Plane cost $16 (around $487 today, adjusted for inflation). It contained 55 cutters (hence its name), but an additional 41 cutters were available for sale. Since it performed as a plow, dado, rabbet, filletster and match plane, a beading and center beading plane, a sash plane, a slitting plane, and a mounding plane, Stanley said it could replace a full line of “Fancy Planes.
Using a single hand plane, you can take rough sawn lumber from the lumber yard and make it ready for furniture. Leave your car parked in the garage, your ear protectors hung on the hook, and the electrons in the wall. You could even do this in an apartment and Mrs. Robodello, the neighbor below you, wouldn’t even know.
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