Bob Gaines' Plane

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(All photos by Karen Carpenter)

Last month, Woodezine reader Bob Gaines asked for help identifying his favorite plane. Fellow reader Nick Chandler had this to say...

Dear Sir,
The plane looks to me like one of the early works of L Bailey, the father of the modern plane when he worked for the early Stanley Rule company in the USA. He was the first to take out patents on improvements to the woodworking plane that hadn't changed much in hundreds of years. The shapes do look like those of early Roman bronze castings of planes that exist today in museums in Europe. It is because of his work that for many years afterwards his name was proudly cast into the plane body in front of the front knob of all planes produced by Stanley. These are hazy recollections and doubtless someone will be able to give you more information (and probably be more correct).
Yours faithfully,
Nick Chandler
Seville, Spain

If you have anything to add to Mr. Chandler's comments, please send us an e-mail.