Avert your eyes if you are sensitive, squeamish or have a heart condition. If there are small children in the room, send them outside to play.
Today a reader pointed out a new kind of “tool crafter,” separate from the saw painters, oilcan bow-tiers and moulding plane lamp makers.
It’s the router-plane coat rack makers. They are, of course, on etsy.com.
Yup, they took a perfectly good Stanley No. 71-1/2 with its square cutter still intact and turned it into a wall rack:
“It certainly could use a good scrubbing but the patina it has really adds to the history. Imagine hanging this in your entryway as a coat/purse/scarf holder – it would certainly draw some great attention from your guests!”
If I hung this in my entryway, my woodworking friends would probably gut me with a deer knife and hang me on one of the knobs.
However, that’s not the worst price I’ve ever seen on a Stanley No. 71-1/2 with an extra-wide accessory base…..
— Christopher Schwarz
Chris,
Nice use of the router plane. I recently purchased on in about the same condition that will be used for woodworking when it gets cleaned up.
Gag!!! At least you could take it off the wall and use it.
I saw a wooden jointer turned into a table lamp. Imagine plane sitting upright on its heel.
That’s revenge for someone stealing her iron to steam out dents.
That is the only thing I’ve used my iron for in 7 years.
Wow! you must be really wrinkly!!
Got mine in similar condition, cleaned it up, got a new blade from LV and it works just fine. I don’t think I paid that much for mine, but then of course it wasn’t mounted on an attractive wall rack, so I guess you get what you pay for.
As for the coat/purse/scarf holder idea…
“Ayyy-Yiii-Yiii!”
I think I just threw up in my mouth a little from the horror.
Jonathan
==================================
Mine (from ebay) is not as ratty as the one on etsy, but I also got new blades from LV. It works fine, within my limited range of skills. The etsy wall rack does have some authentic-looking water stains.
Looks like they mount it on a piece of coffee-stained hardboard. What a shame.
Get a rope!
I think a tool rescue organization needs to be started!!!!!!!
But it does make me feel better for using the Ex-wifes crockpot to etch circuit boards 😉
This is inexcusable, treasonous, rude, and a couple other things worse than that. 71’s are in high demand and hard enough to find. If you want a coat rack, I sell coat racks and 71’s. They are not interchangeable.
Now about that tiny glue pot…
Jason you are too young to appreciate that sort of thing
Small potpourri Crock pot, 25 cents at yard sales. perfect size for half pint jars. ditto coffee cup warmers.
I agree with James about the tool rescue organization.
Just imagine if the restaurant decorators saw this idea – there would be a world wide shortage of router planes in 6 months
Jonas
There ought to be a law, anarchy boy… 😉
Okay… I had to sign out to post this annonymously…
Somebody gifted me with a sign hung from a beautiful wooden fore plane which they covered with a shiny finish so that it would look nice. They did a nice job, but I would have rather had the plane to use!
Awesome.
A small part of me just died.
Reminds me of an “American Pickers” episode where they were rooting around in a barn.
“Anything over there Frankie?”
“Nah, just some old wooden planes.”
“Yeah, those are pretty worthless.”
I was once in an antique store where I saw a half set of hollows and rounds in very good condition. It was before I really started to get into hand tools and I only knew what they were, not what they were worth (in terms of use or money.) “Oh look at these. Hmmm…$50, that’s a lot of money.” It’s like passing up a winning lottery ticket because you have all the scrap paper you need. I’m still kicking myself.
I see this all the time. The other day, it was a nice 19th century (estimate) wooden jack plane complete with lots of blade and an in-great-shape wedge turned into a ‘mobile’. Ugh. The rear tote was broken, but in otherwise fine condition, this plane could have put back into daily use with some elbow grease. As for the tool rescue organization suggestion, where’s Sarah McLaughlin when you need her?
Forget Sarah
We need a Megan!!!!!!!!!
The next thing you know the really snooty shopkeepers will be making these out of Lie Nielsen or Lee Valley router planes, with mahogany back boards. Maybe chrome or gold plated.
Great, you added the link to the site selling it. Now business will be great for them. The Router Plane coat hanger will now become the next big thing.
The coat rack is $14.99. Buy it and rescue the tool. I paid more than that for the tool straight up.
Tom, that’s just the shipping…if you buy something else from them. $62.13 + 17.99 s/h.
“I see ” said the blind man.
Wow. Normally we (current owners of this Router Plane pictured above) welcome constructive criticism but most comments here seem a bit harsh and really unnecessary. Apparently, Mr. Schwarz, who wrote this article left out the part about how on our Etsy site we also gave a brief history on this piece and the company that made it. Trust us, we know it is not a coat rack! However, we saw another purpose for this tool and wanted to share that. It can most definitely be used for its intended purpose and that is how its being sold as it is advertised as “Stanley 71 1/2 Router Plane”. We were merely making a suggestion to those who may have a rustic themed house for an unusual coat rack. History of an object and its purpose is very important to us and we do our best to research with accuracy on as many products as we can and share with our customers. This way if someone wants to use it as a Router Plane – Great!; and if someone wants to use it as a coat rack – Great! What’s most important to us is that who ever purchases this Router Plane knows a bit of the history so they can continue to pass the knowledge on. We are called ‘History101’ for a reason. What someone does with the object when they buy it is not up to us. We appreciate those of you here who did not find the coat rack idea appalling or take offense to the idea as the Router Plane is intact exactly how we found it and it was not altered in anyway for those pictures. And if you must know this Router Plane was saved from going to the land fill.
It’s a joke. The comments are sarcastic.
Nobody thinks you are doing anything wrong. Some of us find it amusing the things that happen to tools.
That’s it.
Sorry if it bugged you.
I was really ok with it all… until I noticed that the screws were not timed.
Now I need a breath mint.
WWAMM
Wood Workers Against Mad Makers
Given that I have more router planes than I do coat hooks, I’m liking this idea more than I should. Make the backboard/extended base easily dismountable from the wall and the cutter sharp, and it’s really just another form of tool storage, right? And you never know when you might need a router plane in a hallway situation.
I think it’s worse that the maker actually knows what it’s for, and rather than selling it as a tool made it something kitschy instead. It’s s free country makers can abuse good tools and we can mock them for it. That’s just the world.
The forum Practical Machinist has a “Needs Saving” thread where old machines in danger get posted. Sometimes these guys drive 1000 miles to save a hunk of ‘merican ‘arn. Perhaps us woodworkers should do the same?
It is being sold as a tool if you read what the owner wrote…”It can most definitely be used for its intended purpose and that is how its being sold as it is advertised as “Stanley 71 1/2 Router Plane”.” The coat rack idea is merely a re-purpose suggestion.
Or you could sell it as a tool, which there is demand for, I don’t see how marketing it as a coat rack (or possible coat rack) adds any value whatsoever. The case here is that calling it a coat rack actually devalues the object.
As to gutting with a deer knife, that would be too quick and easy. The dull router plane blade would take longer, be more painful and much more fitting the crime. But am I guilty of the same crime if I hang my coat on my band saw when I am in the shop?
I hang my shop apron on my band saws tensioning arm does that count?