WOW!!! really, John. That is a Beauty.
It reflects pride and character just as it is, demonstrating, like an old carpenter, miles and miles and years and years of service.
I see that the iron blade has had a sliver of harder steel forge welded to form the cutting edge; that is ancient.
And the metal sole may have been added as a repair or as a preventative measure to keep it from falling into further disrepair so that this old man could render another 100k miles.
This plane demonstrates, in a most literally Romantic way, the essence of carpentry and the timeless nature of creativity.
It is a real relic and trophy as it is and deserves to be not stashed away but prominently and proudly displayed without cosmetic intervention that would conceal the story that it now tells.
If I could build one that looked as great as this one now does , it would take another 100 years of fine work.
Some old tools can and should be restored for continued service. But this old man's beauty is in the story that the lines across it's face tell.
I refer you to the song by Brandi Carlile for The story.
http://youtu.be/o8pQLtHTPaI