Getting involved in electronics can be tricky business. Every time a new technology is invented, processor speed increased or new storage medium is heralded as the next great thing, your computer, stereo or television is one step closer to needing to be upgraded.
Fortunately, this isn’t the case when it comes to woodworking tools. Power tools built in the 1950′s still slice through lumber and planes and chisels more than a century old still slice and dice joinery as well as they day they were made. And, they can still do their work despite the fact that many of these babies sat languishing in some cellar or out building for decades before being brought back to life.
This week, let us know how old the oldest tool is in your collection. Power or hand tool – it doesn’t matter. The one caveat is that the tool still has to do work for you in a your shop – no living room display case models are allowed.
I don’t think that I own ANYTHING older than me except for a few old coins in my collection. 🙂
Rog
Well, since my house is also over 100 years old don’t I also need tools over a 100 years old to work on it? 😉
I use my Grandfather’s Bedrock 606 still. Although I replaced the original blade and chip breaker with a Hock set. I still have the original set but now the fore plane cuts amazingly well. Patent date reads April ’98 (1898). I don’t think it was in my family at that time but it has definitely been in the family 50+ years.
I have and use wooden planes. They work perfectly and are a joy to use. If they aren’t serviceable I don’t want them. Only metal planes I own are Stanley 102’s, 9 1/4, and 60 1/2 block planes.
I have a 1930’s Delta band saw and Unisaw, but some of my hand tools are older; turn of the century planes, etc. The oldest thing I still use from time to time is a Disston carcass saw that dates back to the 1860’s.
I have some of my grandfathers tools, not very many, just a few: mallets and punches and the like.
They still work fine and I use them from time to time, but usually only when I need the “old salt” that in built into them.
And, yep, you can actually feel granddad’s hand guiding yours when you use them.
I wouldn’t take any amount of money for them. They’ll go to my sons.
It always amuses me when I use my 1860s era plane to true up a piece of wood before putting it into my CNC. I’m always a little in awe about the melding of time and technology (in all three centuries that my tools are from)
Lawrence
My anvil predates the Civil War.