The first reference that I can find to show that MARPLES sold Infill Planes is in the 1888 Catalogue and these planes were almost certainly all made for MARPLES by the firm of Henry Slater in Clerkenwell, London. Slater made these style planes for very many other companies and he would most often leave his mark hidden somewhere on the plane if it was not badged as being made by SLATER. [his mark was usually on the Gun Metal lever cap] .  So only those planes clearly marked on the wedge/Lever cap as being a ‘MARPLES’ can really be considered a MARPLES plane.
The 1888 and 1891 Catalogues [below] show identical listings under the heading…”English Pattern Iron Planes‘ and the planes were numbered 1 through 23.  Some of these planes may have a letter  ‘M’ stamped into the heel of the plane and I believe that this was applied to those iron Planes that were made from ‘Malleable Iron’.

The 1897 Catalogue shows the same number of planes listed but now under the heading of ‘Iron Planes with Rosewood Fittings‘.
The 1909 Catalogue shows that the plane numbers have all been changed and that all planes with Wedges had been discontinued [ i.e. 1;2;3;7;9;11 ].
Some additional cutter widths had also been added for some planes.

The 1921 catalogue shows that all Cast Iron planes had by then been discontinued [3110;3125;3140 and 3160]. None of these Infill planes appear in 1928, so c.1925 was the last production date. The 1909 Catalogue shows that all plane item numbers had been changed…see the  pages below.

 

GALLERY:

Plane #1 /2/3 was produced c.1885 – c.1905. the ‘Wedge’ planes being all discontinued prior to 1909.

Plane #4/5/6 was available c.1885-c.1925:

Plane #8/10 was produced c.1885-c.1925:

Plane #13/14: was available c.1885-c.1925:

Plane #15/16 was available c.1885-c.1925:

Note: MARPLES mark on Rosewood wedge.

Plane #17 Available c.1885-c.1925. This shown is a later [after c.1905] example with a modified nose.

Plane #19  Available c.1885-c.1925. The first photo is of the earlier version [<c.1905] and the second is of the later modified nose version. Both are Gun Metal with a Steel Face:

Plane #20 Available c.1885-c.1925 [always Malleable]:

Plane #23 Available c.1885-c.1925 [always Malleable]:

 

 

This set of household tools is first seen as a page insert to p.217 in the 1928 Catalogue.  It does not show in 1938 probably due to the poor design of the holding spring mechanisms which lead to broken spring catches. They were designed to hold 9 different tools for light use and these tools could be held in the ‘handle’ both in a knife aspect or a corkscrew aspect. [see pictures below]
They could be had in a roll or a leather wallet [Items 9405 and 9406.]
Rare to find intact and as a complete set!!

PHOTOS TO FOLLOW SOON…..

These white Nylon rulers with Stainless steel fittings are first seen c.1966 when they were introduced as a 2 foot rule. [Item #2250].  Around March 1968 the line was expanded when the 3ft #2250 was introduced.
[See below]
Around 1971, due to metrification in the UK a 1 metre rule [#2251] was produced and also a #2252 was to be had with dual metric and imperial scaling.
The 2ft-3ft 2250 lasted from 1966/1968 to August 1973
The 2251 and 2252 lasted from 1971 to September 1980.

GALLERY

The first rules [ 2ft 2250] were issued with solid numerals but they were found to wear badly such that by the time that the 3ft 2250 was introduced the numbers are more ‘modern’ and skeletal…see below

The first issues of the 2ft 2250 were retailed inside a plastic sheath:

Below are the later 2ft and 3ft 2250 rules:

They were issued in boxes of 6:

Here is the fully metric 2251:

Below is the 2252, showing the inside and outside faces,  and box:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

These planes are only to be found in the 1888 and 1891 MARPLES Catalogues [and maybe the previous catalogue 1883?] connected to ‘English Pattern Iron Planes’. None of them were actually manufactured by MARPLES and instead MARPLES were just another conduit offering these odd planes to the general public.

The number 113 Adjustable Circular Plane and the number 100.1/2 Iron Block Plane are both STANLEY planes [made in USA].
Numbers 99 [Iron Duplex Plane], 100 [Iron Chamfer Plane], 100-1/2 [Iron Bull-Nose Plane] and 102-1/2 [iron Block Plane] were made by or for Joseph Wolstenholme & Sons [JWS].

It is uncertain who made Plane number 1089 [Iron Chamfer Plane]

The number 34 [Iron Smoothing Plane] was perhaps specifically made for William MARPLES with a HIBERNIA Lever Cap, but an earlier version with Ivy-Covered Lever Cap [shown here] is also shown in a Robert Marples 1895 Catalogue.

Much of the above information is the result of years of study by Cameron Miller in Australia and I am indebted to him for allowing me to use his research results.

GALLERY:

#100   3.1/2″ Iron Chamfer Plane with 1″ cutter:

#98 and #99 Iron Duplex Chamfer or Bullnose Planes. The smallest  [No.1] is 3.1/2″ long with a 1″ cutter and the largest [No.2] is 5″ long with a 1.1/4″ cutter.

#34 Iron Smoothing Plane with Beech fittings 8.1/2″ long and with a 2″ wide cutter.

 

 

 

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.