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Whitmore planes and all their guises?

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Being  a tool dealer, as well as an enthusiastic collector, over many years there have been occasions when lesser known names have cropped up on hand planes, which I have seen, mainly of the no 4, no 5 and 110 block plane varieties.


Despite asking many other tool enthusiasts,and dealers, little if any, background details of the makers has been known.


So, a few years ago, I started to collate information on the varied names, that seemed to share similar characteristics, such as frog details and design,


As more and more people used the internet, more snippets of information has been slotted in, with what I already had filed away, until I felt it was ready for putting it out to a wide audience.


However (and there is always an however), I must stress, that the following is all from my own researches. They are not  complete and and in any way definitive. I will be happy to receive any photographs, details,  or information that can expand on  what I have written here.


But, I hope it fills a few gaps, and acts as a guide,  for all  the curious tool buffs out there.


Many of the name variants emanate from one manufacturer -


Whitmore Planes and their various guises !


The owners were Branson Baker Ltd
Their factory was located at:
331 New Hampton Road East
Whitmore Reans
Wolverhampton, England

Branson Baker Ltd advert 1


So, it would appear that the brand name 'Whitmore' appears to have derived from their address?
Branson Baker Ltd.,  entered plane making in 1955/56 by buying out the 'Sedgley' plane and spokeshave makers, Samuel Brookes & Co.

who had operated their manufactory from:  
Gospel End Street
Sedgley
Dudley
Birmingham, England

Sedgley Planes advert


Samuel Brookes, as well as making their own brand planes,  also produced planes badged 'Tema', for Wilson Lovatt & Sons, hardware dealers  of Wolverhampton

Sedgley no s4 plane foto d

Sedgley no s4 plane foto e
                   
Once  Branson Baker began production under their Whitmore brand, they also continued to produce 'badged' planes for other firms, as well as their own original branding.
 

whitmore no 4 foto a

These are some of the  'badged' plane names:-
Sedgley - photos above            
Peartree

Peartree no 5 plane foto b
 

Tema    (Wilson Lovatt & Sons of Woilverhampton)
 
  Tema no 4 plane          
Peter Stubs (James Neil) - no photo yet
Talco    
 
Talco no 4 plane foto b

Footprint    
 Footprint no 4b plane foto b


        
Salmens / Master
 Salmens no 4 plane foto a

CK (Ceka) - no photo yet        
Spinney
 Spinney no 5 plane foto a

Rollins (John G Rollins Ltd., 25 Prescott Street, London, E1 - tool factors)
 
Rollins no 5 plane foto a

 

Change of Ownership


Footprint agreed to  purchase all machinery (c1978) from Branson Baker Ltd, and produce their own planes. And, I believe my research shows, also badged for:
 

Draper
 
Draper no 4 plane foto a

Roebuck ( Buck and Hickman) - no photos yet


Faithful  (Curtis Holt Ltd.) - no photo yet


Benchmark (Home hardware of Canada) no photo yet


Mastercraft (Candian Tyre Co) no photo yet


Craftsman (Sears Roebuck in USA) no photo yet


Paragon  ( Lee Valley of Canada and Garrett Wade USA)


        Paragon for Lee valley GW no 4 plane foto a   

In the mid 1980's the Paragon was manufactured under strict specifications of Lee Valley.  Footprint ground off it's little footprint logo, on most, but not all Paragons. (It was cast into the plane base just behind the frog, and can be seen on some examples of Paragons ).

The Paragon departed from the Bailey design with  it's lever cap and rear tote.

The lever cap is similar to that of the Miller Falls 3-point design and appears to holds the cap iron and blade tighter to the frog face over a greater area. The tote is also more like the later Miller Falls design, more upright and lesser curves.

Lee Valley sold the Paragons in Canada, and I understand that Lee Valley sold the Paragons through Garrett Wade in the USA (notice the logo on the lever cap).


N.B. My research is still ongoing, in being able to 'fatten out' the story of this line of plane making, but very very slowly!



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Comments

  1. paul

    I have a Rollins #5 (via ebay) and a Rollins #4 found locally, Norwich. They feel heavier than the common Record/Stanley and are good to use. Does anybody know when and where they were made? Paul, thanks for your comment. as you will have read in my blog, information is very scarce about 'badged' planes. The 'Rollins' planes were manufactured by Whitworth who were based at Wolverhampton, and 'badged' for John G Rollins, a well known tool factor/dealer in London. Best guestimate for when made, would be the 1960's. Hope that helps a little?

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  2. Keith Lindsay

    Great article, I love planes too, If it wasn't for trees we wouldn't have them.

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  3. Shaikha

    Thank you on your efforts in gathering and thoroughly researching about those eye catching vintage tools. Your efforts have assisted my team and I tremendously in our univeristy's term project, as we were struggling to find enough resources. That is why I felt the necessity of coming forward and thanking you.

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