Millers Falls bench plane type study

One of the problems encountered in a study of the company’s bench planes is that catalog illustrations could be as much as twenty years out of date. Texts describing the tools were often astonishingly inaccurate and descriptive errors could remain uncorrected for a decade or more. I’ve also come to the conclusion that the company never threw a spare part away, a parsimony which muddies classification considerably. This type study is based on the premium bench planes manufactured by Millers Falls. As such, it will not be particularly helpful for the study the firm’s economy and mid-quality planes.

Type 1. (1929 - ca. 1936)

Note: An illustrated study of Millers Falls type one bench planes has been done by Tom Price. I highly recommend a visit to his outstanding type one web page.

Type 2. (first production: ca. 1936 - ca. 1941)

Inverted triangle on cutter may contain the text “Since 1868”
Inverted triangle on cutter may contain only the date “1868”

Variations: substitution for brass components.

Recessed steel adjustment nut may be substituted for brass nut.
Tote and front knob may be attached to steel posts by means of cylindrical steel nuts rather than brass nuts.

Type 3. (ca. 1941 - 1949)

Millers Falls type 3 plane As Type 2, except:

1. Cocobolo handles and totes replaced by a light-colored hardwood with a walnut-toned stain.
2. Leading edge of tote exhibits an ever-so-slight ogee curve.
3. Handles and totes held in place with a blued steel screws, rather than posts with a cylindrical nuts.
4. Recessed steel adjustment nut.

Variations: lever cap

Semi-circular recess containing inscription “Millers Falls” on front face of lever cap contains no paint.
Semi-circular recess containing inscription “Millers Falls” on front face of lever cap contains red paint.

Variations: cutter stamp

Inverted triangle on cutter contains the text “Since 1868”
Inverted triangle on cutter contains only the date “1868”

Note: An example of a type 3 bench plane in the original box with the sales receipt inside has been observed on an online auction site. The receipt was dated 1942. The changes in fittings and finish found on the type 3 were likely the result of war time shortages.

Type 2. (second production: 1949-1955)

Millers Falls type 2 plane Note: The Millers Falls Company announced the post-war return of “solid rosewood” (i.e. cocobolo) knobs and handles to its bench planes on page 161 of the May 5th, 1949, issue of Hardware Age. Since the change marks the return to an earlier design, a new type designation has not been created for these planes.

The post-war era also marked the return of brass adjustment nuts and brass attachment nuts for tote and knob. During the transition, older steel components were used on some planes.

Variations: treatment of inverted triangle on cutter stamp.

Inverted triangle on cutter may contain only the date “1868”
Inverted triangle on cutter may contain no date.

Variations: substitution for brass components.

Recessed steel adjustment nut may be substituted for brass nut.
Tote and front knob may be attached to steel posts by means of cylindrical steel nuts rather than brass nuts.

Type 4. (1955 - 1966)

Millers Falls type 4 plane As Type 3, except:

1. Tote and knob are manufactured of goncalo, rather than cocobolo and coated with a thick red-orange varnish stain.
2. Horn is noticeably shorter, and slight belly is no longer seen on leading edge of tote.
3. Knob and tote again attached to steel posts by means of cylindrical brass nuts.
4. Frog now painted black.
5. Brass adjustment nut is no longer recessed.

Note: The type four planes are first illustrated in the Millers Falls Company’s Hand Tool Section: Catalog 49, revised edition of April, 1955. Although decades-old illustrations represent the bench planes in the main part of the catalog, artwork for the new No. 1100 plane display unit depicts the new design. The catalog descriptions for the bench planes are identical to those used since since 1949 except that the word “goncalo” replaces the word “rosewood.”

Although red frogs continue to be mentioned in catalog descriptions through 1967, a type 5 plane with other than a black frog has yet to be reported. (The company was often slow to update catalog texts.)

Type 5. (1966 - 1978)

Millers Falls type 5 plane As Type 4, except:

1. One piece lever cap replaces the famous three-point lever cap.
2. Semi-circular recess containing inscription “Millers Falls” on front face of lever cap no longer painted red.
3. Knob and tote are attached with Phillips-head screws.
4. “Made in U.S.A.” no longer cast into bed behind frog.
5. Adjustment nut is not recessed, but is plated steel rather than brass.
6. Frog adjustment screws are now Phillips-type.
7. Castings are no longer highly finished before painting.
8. Bench planes in sizes larger than the No. 9 no longer have a fastening screw in the toe of the tote. A small tube inserted into the bottom of the tote which anchors into a hole in the bed serves instead.
9. There is no longer a frog adjustment screw and tab mounted to the rear of the frog.
10. No markings of any type appear on cutter.

Variations:

Some early examples with slotted screws.
Some early examples with non-recessed brass adjustment nuts.
Some early examples with cutters marked with Millers Falls logo where triangle contains no date.
Some early examples have smoother surface on inside of castings.
Some early examples with “Made in U.S.A.” cast into bed behind frog.