I had a question about what appeared to me to be a Stanley no 75 bullnose plane with a sweetheart blade so went surfing and ended up at a site called Handplane Central. I had been there before but never realized they had a forum. Anyway there was a few posts on the Stanley 75 one was by a guy who has 42 versions of the 75. I posted the following reply and the got a very information filled reply.....
My reply to his list....
Impressive gathering! I have a question that maybe you can answer for me. I have Stanley SW 75 (I believe your number 31 on your list). Pretty much all I have read same that there arent any cast markings on the 75. When taken apart I find a "188" cast on the topside of the base and a "188 1/2" under the top. Do these have any significance? Thanksreply form Nicky P at Handplane Central.....
Hi fliffy42! I hope I can give you the information you want. You are actually very lucky because the 188 signals that you have a Winchester W75 which is pretty rare. This is all the information I have been able to accumalate on the Winchester so far. If you have anything to add I would be truely grateful to receive it for my file. If you can get a Winchester blade for your plane I thoroughly recommend it, I have seen one of EBay for sale a few months ago.
I believe that Stanley made the body of the plane on behalf of Winchester-Simmons as they never made their own tools, they contracted out. I also believe that Stanley never wasted parts and if the contract ended and there were parts left over I believe that Stanley would have absorbed them into their own stock as Stanley, as a rule, did not mark their own castings.
Manufactured: 1923 - 1929 by Stanley on behalf of
Length: 4”
Blade Width: 1”
Construction: Casting numbers inside the base188,
Casting numbers inside the top 188 ½,
Casting numbers inside the back of the screw cap 189
Finish: Japanned or painted (hard to tell with what is left on plane)
Features: Ref. John Walters book –
“Stanley manufactured earlier Bed Rock style planes with rounded sides for Keen Kutter and Winchester ………Note: planes with a similar appearance and design to later Bed Rocks we manufactured by Vaughn & Bishnell (V & B) but were in no way manufactured by the Stanley Works
On the blade it is marked
WINCHESTER
TRADE MARK
MADE IN USA
Uses: Fine or close up work in corners and tight places
Company details
In the book "Standard Catalog of Winchester" Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin, USA phone 715-445-2214 on page 582 a Bull Nose Rabbet Plane is pictured as catalog item W75, length 4' 3/4 pound. Old Number F3098C probably from an older 1920's catalog.
Simmons Hardware was a hardware company in St Louis, Missouri from the middle of the 19th century until 1940. They never actually made anything themselves, but had other manufacturers produce the items which they branded. Keen Kutter was their premium brand from 1870 until 1940, when they were acquired by Shapleigh Hardware, another St Louis company.
Winchester owned the company for about 8 years in the 1920's, and many hardware items produced then were branded Winchester.
Chain of ownership …………..
Edward Campbell Simmons and August Frederick Shapleigh founded
Keen Kutter. The Keen Kutter brand of tools was originated in 1870 by the E.C. Simmons Company.
Time line:
1847 Shapleigh Day & Company-
1863 A.F. Shapleigh & Company-
1870 Keen Kutter name chosen by E.C. Simmons-
1872 E.C. Simmons & Company-
1874 Simmons Hardware Company
1922 Merger of Simmons Hardware & Winchester-
1923 Winchester- Simmons Company
1929 Simmons Hardware Company reverted to original status
As you see Winchester only contracted for 8 years so you have something special.
Good Luck!
A little more in depth than I expected. heres a link to the thread if anyone is interested...
http://www.handplane.com/Forum/index.php?id=490and a couple of pics of my plane (forgive the pic quality light crappy at the moment)
