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Tool Valuation

Peter Rideout

Peter Rideout

Member
Messages
1,668
Location
Nova Scotia, 45°N 64°W
Okay Guys, I need some serious help here.
A friend, who is a picker, showed up in my shop with these two treasures this morning. I had asked him 3-4 years ago to keep an eye out for a good old slick and framing chisels
He left them here to distract me and for me to find a fair price!! What are they worth as user tools in rural Nova Scotia, not the antique markets of affluent cities?
The slick appears to be hand forged with finer (harder?) steel at the tip. It looks like the back has been rounded off near the tipfrom improper sharpening, but it could be flattened with some hours of lapping. It seems to me it should be dead flat for proper paring cuts.
The chisel is from PS&W Co in Connecticut, a well-known tool maker from 1890 onward. Someone has hammered the sides of it a bit, but not to a shocking extent.
Lee Valley has a new similar size slick for about C$190. Shelter Institute timber framing school and store in Maine lists new slicks for close to C$300

Any help or direction you have would be much appreciated.




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Jonathan Shively said:
You can't buy and sell his stuff at the same time. Did he give you a ballpark figure? Tell him it was your birthday a week or so back and thanks for the gifts!:ROFLMAO::cool:
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No ballpark figure Jon, he said he had no idea what’s fair. I suppose I could suggest the birthday thing, but he is a neighbour and friend and I do have to live in this community😀
I have learned that slicks used in shipbuilding often have a slightly rounded back, so my first thought of wrong sharpening might not be valid.
 
Peter Rideout said:
I have learned that slicks used in shipbuilding often have a slightly rounded back, so my first thought of wrong sharpening might not be valid.
Click to expand...

Some timber framing slicks were also slightly rounded as it makes some types of cuts a bit easier (hence why you need at least two :cool:.. of each of several sizes :rolleyes:). I'd give it a try and see how it works before trying to change the profile.

As user tools also consider the "cost" of probably needing new handles, etc.. which probably puts it close to in line with Vaughns theory.
 
Ryan Mooney said:
Some timber framing slicks were also slightly rounded as it makes some types of cuts a bit easier (hence why you need at least two :cool:.. of each of several sizes :rolleyes:). I'd give it a try and see how it works before trying to change the profile.

As user tools also consider the "cost" of probably needing new handles, etc.. which probably puts it close to in line with Vaughns theory.
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Wise words as usual Ryan. Thanks!👍
 
Further note, consider how a curved scrub plane blade works, so the slight curve lets you remove material a lot faster and easier at the expense of having a register surface for precise flattening/precision paring... But you can still mostly get a good enough for purpose finish you just have to take a few more cuts (and deal with a bit of scalloping.. which may or may not be a problem in this use case). The curve also makes it less likely you'll have the corners dig in so it makes some finishing cuts (especially where you want a touch of texture) simpler.

I was trying to find some good examples, and one that popped up that is currently made (at least recently made) example is the Barr Scarf Slick which has a slight curve to it's back similar to yours.
 
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