This class of Woodworking tool was a very early, if not initial, addition to the William Marples company. Gimlets first appear [in printed format] in the 1846 Trade sheet and were then called…GIMBLETS…. But this name had changed by 1861 to the more usual name of GIMLETS.
Here is the 1844 list :
Then the 1861 list: [No price increase!]
The 1873 entry follows:
Then the 1888 entries:
And here are the 1897 pages:
And then the 1909 listings:
The 1921 listings, as with all tools, was truncated after the war:
The 1928 listings show a return to production:
The 1938 listings may be very close to those of 1928:
1959 Catalogue shows the expected reduction in styles:
And the 1965 Catalogue shows an even more drastic reduction in styles available:
The last catalogue to show a Gimlet [#1762] is the mini catalogue of 1971. The exact same catalogue of 1972 shows that this tool was no longer manufactured:
Below is a table showing the availability of Gimlets starting with the 1909 Catalogue. This Catalogue was the last one to generally have new Item numbers assigned. Before that there were too many changes to realistically track the items [see the pages of catalogues above].
In this table; G= Gimlets
Box = Boxwood
not 21 = not found in the 1921 Catalogue.
Special Note: Item #s 1806;1807 and 1808 Bellhangers’ Gimlets were all numbered in 1928, but after that the 5/16″ and 3/8″ sizes were not item numbered in the catalogues, all being shown as #1806 and they were discontinued around 1/65.
GALLERY:
Below Left is #1752 Shell Gimlet with Square Tang.
Below Right is #1790 Brewer’s London Pattern Shell Gimlet.
Below are #1791 Brewer’s London Pattern Twist Gimlets.
Below is #1793 Cooper’s or Wine Frets Boixwood head.
Below are #1762 Square Tang Twist Gimlets. Probably the most common found today.
Below is #1806 Bell Hangers’ Long Shell Gimlet 12″.
Below is #1782 Spout, Gutter or Cabinet Twist Gimlet. 9″
#1782.1/2 was the 12″ version.
