Offered here is a fairly large 22-inch antique wooden razee fore plane, fitted with a Buck Brothers “Warranted Cast Steel” iron and matching chip breaker. This is a particularly appealing old working plane, both because of its unusual razee form and because it remains in very good to excellent overall condition.At approximately 22 inches long, I would classify this as a fore plane rather than a jack plane. Its length also places it near what some craftsmen would call a short jointer, making it suitable for the heavier stock-preparation and preliminary truing work traditionally performed by a fore plane.A razee plane is distinguished by its stepped-down body: the rear portion of the wooden stock is cut substantially lower than the forward section. This lowers the tote and the user’s hand closer to the sole, while also reducing the overall weight of what would otherwise be a fairly substantial wooden plane. The result is a long plane that is comparatively comfortable and controllable in use. Razee planes were especially well suited to working craftsmen, including joiners, cabinetmakers and shipwrights, and surviving examples include both commercially manufactured planes and planes made or modified by their original owners.This particular plane has no maker’s mark on the wooden body that I can find, so I cannot say with certainty whether it was commercially produced or craftsman/owner-made. That uncertainty is not unusual with old razee planes; very skilled craftsmen frequently made or altered planes to suit their own requirements and fitted them with commercially produced irons.The iron is clearly and attractively stamped:BUCK BROTHERS
WARRANTED
CAST STEELBuck Brothers was a respected American edge-tool manufacturer whose history dates well back into the 19th century, and their plane irons were widely used both in manufactured planes and by craftsmen fitting or refitting their own wooden planes. The iron in this example retains a great deal of usable length and, along with its chip breaker, remains in remarkably good condition for its age. The wooden wedge is also present and in excellent condition. The plane body itself has survived exceptionally well. I see no major cracks, serious checking, broken escapement, or significant damage to the sole or mouth. The mouth shows some minor edge irregularity from age and use, but nothing that I believe would interfere with the plane’s intended function as a fore plane. There are naturally scattered scratches, small dents, dark shop marks and other evidence of normal use expected on an antique wooden working plane.There are two condition issues worth specifically mentioning. First, the tip of the tote horn has a small chip/loss, clearly shown in the close-up photographs. The damage is confined to the end of the horn and does not affect the structural integrity of the handle. Second, there are some paint or finish stains around the base of the tote and on the adjacent wooden body, apparently left from someone painting or refinishing the hardwood handle at some point in its life. Neither issue affects the basic usefulness of the plane, but both are shown clearly in the photographs.Overall, this is a very well-preserved antique razee fore plane with an excellent marked Buck Brothers iron, substantial size, attractive old wooden construction, and plenty of character from a long working life. It should appeal both to the collector of early woodworking tools and to the traditional hand-tool woodworker looking for an old wooden fore plane that appears quite capable of being returned to regular service with normal sharpening and setup.Approximate length: 22 inches.Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description and show the plane’s condition, construction, markings and minor imperfections in Due to chronic illness, I am unfortunately being “forced” to sell my entire large collection of antique hand tools. Most items will be priced to sell rather quickly (hopefully!). I will be regularly posting new tools on a frequent basis (everything from hand planes—metal and wooden—to saws, spokeshaves, braces, bits galore, and many, MANY more. If you’ve been wanting or needing a certain tool, feel free to shoot me a quick message to see if I have one. Most questions are welcome. Just please understand I’m having to dig through three large storage units to find and post these tools. So the process of posting may (may not) be a little slow at the beginning. But rest assured, hundreds of “new” antique tools will be posted before too long. A relative few tools will be saleed off, but I intend to sell most items as Buy It Now! And remember: virtually ALL of my Buy It Now’s will ALWAYS have the option of OBO (or best offer). So don’t hesitate to shoot me an offer. Thanks for reading, and don’t hesitate to shoot a question my way. All my best, Russ
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