These knives have been part of  Carpenter’s tools since before 1862, when I can first find a MARPLES reference. They commonly appear in the catalogues by an un-handled Marking Awl, which is like a smaller version of the Striking knife.
It was not until the 1965 Cat. that the name ‘Marking Knife’ was applied by MARPLES, although I remember that they were called that back in 1957.  Up until the 1938 Cat. the wooden scales were of Rosewood but ‘Hardwood’ is the description given thereafter. The item #1879 is still described as having Hardwood handles in the 1972 Cat. but by 1983 [Record Ridgeway Group] the tool came with an Orange rubber coating over the handle.

Here are the listings:
1862…..

1873…..

1888….. Only the #824 ‘Chisel end marking awl is actually shown, but #826                  Striking Knife is also listed.

1897…..

1909…..

1921…..

1928…..

1938…..

1959…..

1965…..

1972…..

1983.….Below is Item #M1880 which ceased to be available after Feb 1984

 

This is now but a draft that you can see for me to write about the early Iron Planes.  The information contained herein cannot be verified presently…….

This unique shaped metal plane [ the ‘Norfolk’] may have been commissioned  by John Monks & Sons  in Sheffield [at a foundry unknown] and the casting sold to MARPLES, as well as other manufacturers [Robert Marples]. It seems likely that the decorative Shamrock cap may also have come from Monks, so we can assume that they also supplied the caps for Robert Marples too, but with a different design?

There is a suspicion that JWS [John Wolstenholme & Sons] may have been involved in this mix as well, as planes have been found with JWS cutters installed.

Type 1 may have a straight across brace/boss whereas Type 2 may have a semi-circular cutout on the brace to accommodate the cap iron screw head.

[Insert catalogue page here showing both the William and Robert Marples cat. pages.]

 

Cheese Tasters are listed in MARPLES Catalogues as early as 1862 but it is not until 1888 that  I can find a description to match the Cheese Taster that I have here. The description in the text and next to the line drawing are of the same object but are different!    With the text is shown:  ‘Best Bright Cast Steel Cheese Tasters, 5 inches, with Rosewood Tipped Handles’.  Whereas next to the image it says: ‘Improved Cheese Taster with Rosewood handle’.

The 1897 Cat. shows these:

In 1909 the item number has changed from 2079 to 6874:

Cheese tasters were not listed in 1921 but re-appear in 1928:

And are shown for the last time in the 1938 Catalogue:

Another Cheese Taster is again seen in the 1862 Cat. where it is not numbered, but described as ‘Bright Key Bow Cheese Taster . 3 lengths are listed…4″; 4.1/2″ and 5″.  This is continued through to 1909 where lengths available are changed to 5.1/2″; 6″ and 6.1/2″. Item numbers are also changed resting at #6872 in 1909 and onwards. But in 1928 lengths are again and henceforth changed down to 3″; 4″ and 5″. The last Cat. to show this Taster as being available is 1938.  The picture of this Taster does not vary between catalogues, so I must assume that my example below must be a later issue:

Here is where I will put advertising that occurred in retail settings [as opposed to paper adverts.]

Marples produced many display boards that showed a small selection of their wares…here is just one…

And another here is from a later date and obviously intended for a retail store:

 

These items were needed to offload goods [in bags] at the Docks and other locations.
The first Catalogue entry I can find is in 1888:

At that time only single and double Prong hooks were available with no speciality.

By 1897 there are more choices:

And more by 1909:

1921:

1928:

1938: A Malleable version of #3662 has been introduced as #3664

By 1959 the range has been whittled down to the Basics, no specialties.

And these 3 tools were themselves de-listed by December 1963

These tools may be difficult to find these days as they were probably discarded quite often, or lost. The following example may be either 3662 or 3664. I have no way of currently knowing the difference between SMALL and LARGE sizes.

 

Since the first MARPLES ‘Pig Scraper’ is to be found in the 1888 Catalogue [Item #1899], I can only surmise that prior to then, no pigs needed to be scraped!
This first tool, like its’ descendents,  had an included Hook, the purpose for which eludes me. The first description does not state that it was ‘handled’ but I think it must have been.
The same number and increased description is to be found in 1897 :

In 1903 the Hooked version [#6863] and a non-Hooked version [#6864] are found and repeated in 1909 below:

1921 below is similar:

In 1928 the Hooked version is #6863, whereas the non-Hooked version is now #6853.1/2. The handle is described as being made of Ash and is ‘Through Tanged’:

1938:

1959:

The Catalogues of 1938 and 1959 show the same information.
This tool was de-listed around December 1963 and then there was a huge squeal of delight from the piggies!!!

I will try to add other tools in this category as I find photos of them, but I will start with Caulking Mallets as I have one in my collection….

Caulking Mallets

These were introduced to aid in the use of the Caulking Irons that themselves were used to insert the caulk material that waterproofed the sections of wood that were used to make a boat, at that time. Up till that time we can only surmise that a large hammer/maul was used that would have deformed the head of the Caulking Iron. It was probably less expensive to buy Caulking Mallets of Lignum Vitae than destroy sets of steel Caulking irons?

The first mention that I can find of this tool comes in the 1888 Cat. as Item# 295A Round Head Lignum Vitae Caulking Mallet.and #296 ‘London Pattern Lignum Vitae Caulking Mallet’ but with no pictures!  At this time I cannot describe the differences between these two.

In 1897 it is listed as the same; #296 and #295A.

1909 sees another number change to #4016 and described as ‘London Pattern Lignum Vitae Caulking Mallets’  and this is echoed in 1921.

In 1928 the number has changed slightly to #4016B because the London Pattern Mallet made of Beech is added to the system, but 4016 remains the same.

In 1938 both Lignum Vitae [#4016] and Beech [#4016B] woods are still listed.

In 1959 only the Lignum Vitae 4016 is shown and the tool was discontinued in December 1963.

 

 

Two of MARPLES’ most unusual products are these implements to aid in the opening of Cigar Boxes.

First listed as item #1139C in 1897 the Rosewood scaled tool remained unchanged until it was de-listed c.1930.  The number appears as #3631 in 1909 and changed again to #3651 in 1928. Peculiarly enough it is listed in the index of 1938 but does not appear on page!!
The Beechwood handled Opener started life in 1909 as #3632 and was changed to #3652 in 1928, but no more.
Both of these openers do not appear in the 1921 Catalogue.

These are some of the most basic tools employed by Carpenters and probably among the first manufactured by the William Marples Company.

In this section I will only be dealing with the Draw Knives that were and are still used by Carpenters today, other styles of Draw Knives may be found under other headings  [e.g. Coopers’ Tools.]  As far as I can tell these tools were listed as ‘Drawing Knives‘ until 1965 and then were called ‘Draw Knives.’

Here are the 1862 Listings…

Here are the listings from 1873:

Next are the 1888 listings:

The 1897 listings are next:

Next are the 1909 Listings, with again, item number changes:

The 1921 Listings show the usual post-war decrease in item availability:

And then to 1928:

The 1938 listings were very similar:

1959 shows only these listings:

While 1965 shows only this and that the name has been reduced to ‘Draw Knives’:

And at last 1972 is the only catalogue to show this:

Table below shows availability since 1909:

Item #	09	21	28	38	59	65	72	Description
1160	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Cast Steel
1161	Y	Y	Y	Y				London Pattern
1162	Y	Y	Y	Y				Cast Steel Egg handled
1164	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y		Cast Steel American Pattern
1167	Y	Y	Y	Y				Carpenters’ Common
1173	Y							Amateurs’ Common Beech
1174	Y							Amateurs’ Common Box
1175	Y	Y	Y	Y				Amateurs’ Cast Steel Beech
1176	Y	Y	Y	Y				Amateurs’ Cast Steel Box

Individual size availability by years:

#1160:   Was 8-16″ in 1909 and reduced to 8-14″ in 1921.   Was 10-12″ 1959-1965 and only 10″ in 1972. In production until at least 1979.
#1161:  Was 8-16″ in 1909 and reduced to 8-14″ in 1921 , delisted just pre-war. [1938?]
#1162:  Was 8-14″ in 1909 and reduced to 8-12″ in 1928, delisted just pre-war. [1938?]#1164: Was 8-14″ in 1909 and reduced to 8-12″ in 1921 and 10-12″ in 1965.  de-listed c. Sept 1969.
#1167:  Was 8-16″ in 1909 reduced to 8-14″ in 1921. De-listed just pre-war.[1938?]
#1173 and #1174:   Were both available as 5; 5.1/2; 6; 6.1/2 & 7″  in 1909 and de-listed before 1921.
#1175 and #1176: Were both available as 5; 5.1/2; 6; 6.1/2; 7; 7.1/2; and 8″in 1909 , reduced to 6 & 7″ in 1921 and increased to 5; 6; and 7″ in 1928. De-listed just pre-war.[1938?]

Gallery of some Draw Knives:

The next photos are of a very rare item #1164 still wrapped up in the factory papers:

Above is a W.KENT 5 inch Boxwood handled Drawknife c.1909.  Item #1174  W.KENT name was used on Second Quality tools for many years, William Kent Marples being the son of William Marples Jnr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below is a Geologists’s hammer #3566:

The hammer below is only 7 inches in total length and I believe came from a Gentleman’s set of tools from around 1900.

REPOUSSE Hammer:

Only offered for sale in the 1928, 1938 and 1959 Catalogues and available until Nov 1963 this hammer was always Item# 9091.
Here is the whole Repousse line and it is the same in all 3 Catalogues.

I have noticed that the older Repousee hammers have a backward facing poll, see image above.

This next one is a Mystery…It seems to indicate that later MARPLES hammers may have been produced in the USA!!??

I have no answer for this!!

BOXMAKERS Hammer:

The Boxmakers hammer was first seen in Cat. 1909. as 14,16 and 18 ounce versions. It was not available in 1921 Cat. but was re-introduced in the 1928 Cat.  as 14;16;18 and 20 ounce. The 1938 Cat. shows the same but the sizes available were reduced in the 1959 Cat to just 14;16 and 18 ounce again. Amazingly this hammer was still available as 14 and 16 ounce versions in 1965, but were available only until around 1967/8, showing as being withdrawn in the Price List of Nov 1969.