Excerpted from The Chronicle Vol. 60 No. 1, March 2007 by Dana Martin Batory In our small village of Crestline, Ohio, a friend once kept in front of his antique shop a foot-powered grinding machine made by the Richards Wilcox Manufacturing Co. of Aurora, Illinois. The origin and history of its stone had always fascinated …
Ohio’s Sandstone: Once the Source of the World’s Finest Grinding Stones Read More »
Excerpted from The Chronicle Vol. VIII, No. 3, July 1955 By Edwin C. Whittemore Printing, in the sense that we think of it today, began back around 14 5; when John Guttenberg used metal type for the first time in the printing of the “Mazarine Bible.” Flourishing under patronage, it bloomed as an art form, …
https://www.themasonic.com/building_architecture.phpI received this link from member Daniel Semel the other day and thought that other members might be interested in spending a little time on this very enjoyable tour. This is best viewed on a full size monitor , so hold off watching it on your phone. Thanks to Dan for sending this on. Perhaps …
The first yearly antique tool auctions bring tool collectors out of their winter hibernation as surely as the vernal equinox marks the coming of Spring. One of the highlights of this “Rite of Spring” is Martin Donnelly’s “Live Free or Die” spring tool auction. This long-standing tradition rekindles friendships young and old, provides a chance …
Here it is at only the second post of this blog and I’ve gone off the subject of Stanley Model Shop tools in my collection to discuss a Sargent prototype plane that joined the collection recently. This plane (Figure 1) suggests that Sargent was considering a successor to its Shaw’s Patent line of planes. As …
Sargent Model Shop Tools: Prototype Successor to Shaw’s Patent Planes? Read More »
This post is a bit longer than those I’ve written in the past, but I hope you’ll enjoy the story that’s in here about another interesting plane from the Stanley Model Shop. 1873 to 1879 were tough years for the Stanley Rule & Level Company as well as the rest of the U.S. economy. The …
“Begin today! No matter how feeble the light, let it shine as best it may. The world may need just that quality of light which you have.” — Elder Henry C. Blinn Canterbury, New Hampshire Shaker Community The new year has arrived and it won’t be long before you receive your registration brochure in the …
By the 1890’s, Stanley Rule & Level Company had become an industrial juggernaut. They proudly boasted in their pocket catalogs that they had sold 1.2million Bailey planes. Their 1895 pocket catalog boasted sales of 2.2 million Bailey planes. “The Rule & Level became by 1900 the largest maker of planes and related tools in the …