What is this, and it it worth $100.....?

Stuart Ablett

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15,917
Location
Tokyo Japan
It has "Stanley Rule & Level Co" but the seller has no other info on it.

Total length is 15" the sole is about 2 1/2" wide by 3" long.

I've not seen anything like this before, I'm thinking that maybe it is NOT a woodworking tool....?

stanley1.jpg stanley2.jpg stanley3.jpg

I am stuck in the L shop, and I was trolling Yahoo auctions, I came upon this.

I also found these...........
miller_falls_17_stanley_no_5_set_1.jpg miller_falls_17_stanley_no_5_set_2.jpg miller_falls_17_stanley_no_5_set_3.jpg
Looks like a Miller Falls #17 block plane and a Stanley #5C (I think?) with the corrugated bottom. The set is at $20 right now, so I bid on it, what do you think these are worth?

I know that they may be worth a lot less in the US, but I seldom see this kind of plane here, and not ones that are in need of so much TLC.

I'm looking for users here, so as long as I can tune them up, I'm not worried, heck even at that price, if I had to replace the blades, I'd still be ahead, don't you think?

Cheers!
 
Well, a little looking and I found that the first one is a
#70 Box scraper, 13"L, 2"W, 1lbs, 1877-1958

70.jpg

from www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan9.htm#num70

This is a tool used to scrape the markings from the wooden shipping boxes, which were the most common way of packing goods prior to the invention of corrugated folding cardboard boxes, styrofoam peanuts, bubble pack, and all sorts of modern wonderful shipping products. The owner or user of this tool could scrape the previous shipper's markings off and use the box over. It would be swell to think that Stanley was being environmentally conscious here, but given their fetish for raping the rosewood reserves, that notion of eco-fundamentalism is fantasy. The scraper also can be used to scrape floors or other rough surfaces (you folks in the northern climes, use it as a windshield scraper at your own risk). It has a long, simply turned, maple (or similar hardwood) handle that has a lacquer finish on the earlier examples and a deep red paint on later examples. A japanned forked metal casting is fixed into the handle. At the end of the casting is a carrier for the cutter that can pivot 360 degrees to permit the tool to be pushed or pulled. A captive lever cap, activated by a simple thumb screw, holds the single cutter in place. The sole is slightly convex along the front and leading edges, and is also slightly convex over its width. The cutter is ground and honed with a shallow radius to the cutting edge, permiting the tool to work uneven surfaces; shipping boxes aren't perfectly flat (imagine that), and the convex cutting edge allows the tool to work these surfaces easier. The tool has a relatively wide mouth.
No one has yet written a definitive type study on these critters (don't understand why), but the logos stamped into cutters of these things pretty much follow the chronology of those on the common bench planes. Other than the noted change in the handle's finish, this tool remained unmodified from its birth to its death.
Box scraping is a rugged profession, and this tool doesn't often show signs of physical damage save for a check or two in the handle or a break in the brass ferrule (it's sometimes missing), but cosmetically it often looks like it was used to scrape barnacles off rocks. It certainly isn't a very elegant tool, but it is a useful one if you're into scraping boxes or whatever. I've never used it to scale a fish, but I don't see why it wouldn't tackle that job rather effectively. Be sure to rinse and pat dry after use.

Interesting tool, but I don't know if I want to part with $100 for it :huh: :dunno:
 
hi stuart ,

i have a #70 , i got it for about $55. 10 years ago . it does come in handy if your wood comes with those annoying price stickers on it. or scraping magic marker off , but i only use mine once or twice a year , is it really worth it ? ........ probably not unless your building an "everything stanley ever made" collection .
 
The Stanley #70 box label scraper is worth about US$35.00, in very good condition. I have two of them.

The #5C and the MF block plane are probably worth about US$ 40~50 together. The #5C looks pretty rough, so maybe $20 for it, and $30 for the block plane.
 
Thanks guys!

Do remember, I'm in Japan, and these things used are rarely on auction, but I'll not over pay. I've set my limit on the two planes, the #17 and #5C at about $50, so we shall see.

Cheers! :wave:
 
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