Another spokeshave question

Re: Another spokeshave question

Jim Crammond in Monroe, Mi

>Dan,

Tom Lamond's book about spokeshaves has several pages of information about Union spokeshaves. Union did business in New Britain, Ct. as both Union Manufacturing Co. and Union Plane Co. The details are not certain but it is thought that the company was in business from 1866 to 1984 mostly selling gray iron castings to other companies, such as Stanley, and for the period of 1900 to 1920 sold both planes and spokeshaves under their own name. It is also thought that they furnished both items to hardware retailers and wholesalers marked with those companies' names. Stanley bought the plane making end of the business in 1920 and Union possibly sold the spokeshave manufacturing rights to Crescent Mfg. of New York, NY.

Union purchased Derby Plane Co. in 1900 and started marketing spokeshaves at that time. These shaves were based on a Mosher patent. They also made some based on the Stanley No. 60 and ones like your No.118 that were copies of the Stanley No. 64. Union model numbers were No. 111 through No. 118. Most of the Union spokeshaves are instantly recognizable because of the loop type handles.

From my experience, while not as common as Stanley spokeshaves, they are not rare either.

Hope this is what you were looking for.

Jim Crammond

Re: Another spokeshave question

Greg Betit, Crown Point NY

>The following is from Manufactured and Patented Spokeshaves & Similar Tools, 1997,Thomas Lamond.

There are several pages about Union in this book, including a reproduction of a 1905 catalog cut that shows the 118 listed for $2.00.

"The Union Manufaturing Company was organized in New Britan, Connecticut... The formation of this company was in 1866, but it is believed that it was not until the turn of the century that woodworking tools were offered by the Union Manufacturing Company under its own name. It is believed that prior to that time, some castings were made for the Stanley Rule and Level Company, perhaps including plane and spokeshave castings...

"The last number in the Union shave line was the No. 118. It... was vary similar to another Stanley offering, the No. 64."

"No cutters for the No.118 have been observed that were marked UNION in any way."

That's about all the book had to say specifically about the 118.

Greg

Re: Another spokeshave question

Dan Donaldson

>Thanks Guys. I was just a bit curious as to what it was. I didn't expect that it was rare or anything. Seems to be a nice little shave. My wife found it at some store up in Northern MI while she was galavanting around with one of her friends.