Reply To: Buying Woodworking Tools is Becoming Stupid
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Unlike the common bench planes (Nos. 3, 4, 5,and 6) and the no.78 rabbet & fillister, all of which were commonly used by carpenters back in the day, router planes were never a big seller. They were more of a specialty item, used by cabinetmakers, patternmakers and other “fine” woodworkers and are comparatively scarce. Nowadays it’s mostly amateurs who are using any of these tools. The old carpenters’ tools are abundant and cheap compared to new equivalents (at least in the NE quarter of the USA and most of the UK, for those who can pry themselves away from their computers to get out and look).
IMHO, given their relative scarcity, demand from both collectors and woodworkers and the cost of new router planes, I don’t think that the typical $50-$100 selling prices (not eBay “Buy It Now” prices) for old Stanley or Record routers is unreasonable. It only seems high because vintage carpenters’ tools can be had so cheap.
Dave
- This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Dave Ring.