I'm not normally a fan of old tools...

[Kerry Drake]

That's right, I generally prefer the newer shiny tools. I like fighting with that clear plastic vacuum packaging that is nearly impossible to open. I like holding the instruction manual and thinking "how hard can this really be.....?"

Recently, however, I had an offer from an extended family member to purchase a large lot of tools that were in her basement (she had just sold her house is moving south). I went over and looked everything over and walked away $100.00 poorer, but loaded down with a bunch of old tools.

Included in the lot was a bunch (probably 20 or more) of files (of which I really had none), a pipe cutter (didn't have one of those either), for some strange reason 6 or 7 glass cutters, a centering punch (got one of those for Christmas a few days earlier but having a spare is fine), a very cool hand drill set-up with 30 or 40 bits ranging all the way up to 3/4" of an inch. 2 hand planes (one craftsman and one with no brand I could determine), and a few specialty planes that I'm really happy about:

There was Stanley #71 Router Plane (used to smooth out the bottom of dado's and grooves). The Internet says this plane goes for $32 - $72 dollars on e-bay.

There was also a Stanley No. 378 Rabbet Plane (used for - you guessed it - cleaning up Rabbets). The Internet says this plane goes for $60 - $150 dollars on e-bay.

And while these are both pretty dirty right now, they look to be in fine shape and once I clean them up, check the blades for sharpness, They will be nearly good as new.

So once you add in the nail punches, old screw drivers, "egg-beater" drills, chalk line and chalk, marking crayons, carcass saw, large hunk of paraffin wax, and other .... stuff, I think I ended up with a pretty good deal (did I mention the 3 1/2' long bow saw with the extra blade?).

[Derek]

Very cool old tools! I really like the rabbet plane.

One word of advice... If I've learned nothing from my new favorite TV show "Pawn Stars", it's that if you are at all interested in selling these in the future (you mentioned the high prices) you should definitely not clean them up at all. The rusty finish and other things that make the tools feel old are what give them a lot of their value.

Basically, if you're going to use them, clean them up! If you're not, DON'T!