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Hello,
I’m amazed to find this site,
have had a WS A5 in almost perfect condition for the last 30 years. I have being trying on and off to find the manufacturer as it is obviously a quality tool.
I usually only collect Spiers or Matheison
Jim,
It is only today that I have been able to read your message (due to site problems) and I trust that your WS A5 is used carefully. They really are very good planes and somehow got missed in the after war shuffle for quality goods. Please contact me personally (http://www.wstoolsbirmingham.com/contact/) as any photos would be appreciated.
Best regards,
Roger
My father worked at W.S. as a tool setter and as foreman.
Most of the workers were women on piecework.
Just thought you might be interested.
Barbara,
Now that the site has been updated and I can at last read your reply, I am VERY interested in ANY information that you or your Father (hopefully still with us) may be able to supply. PLEASE contact me via the contact form (http://www.wstoolsbirmingham.com/contact/) as it is so rare that I may receive good information from somebody who was in real contact with the WS Company.
Best regards,
Roger
Dear Barbara,
I have been off-line now for about 1 year due to site problems, but now wish to ask you the same question.
Can you please supply ANY other information, however how trivial, to increase our knowledge of the WS Tool Company.
best regards,
Roger
A Brilliant site! Very interesting, I have a WA41/2 that is in similar condition to the the one you restored, I have restored a number of planes, including Stanley, Record and Woden (my favourite), but never WS, I’d be interested in purchasing the decals for the rear handle of my WA41/2.
Keep up the good work.
Tim
Tim,
I have been restricted out of this site for about 1 year now, but may now have access, having read your email message
I can supply the water Transfers that you need…please go to the TRANSFERS area and decide which transfer you need and how many. Hopefully this email will get through to you!!
Roger
What a brilliant and informative research guide, thank you.I have a A4 and 2 WS 78 planes, what you refer to as type 1 and type 2, well made, robust and restored well. I am looking for the fence and rods and also the nicker blade for 1 of these, can you help or indeed any of your followers, thanks, John
Dear Godfrey,
Having been off line for over a year now due to site problems let me assure you that I can supply the correct nicker blade for the WS A78. I may also be able to supply the fence and rods but this would depend on whether you require a Type 1 or Type 2 material.
regards and apologies,
Roger
I have recently acquired two WS A4 planes. Prior to this I had not heard of this make.
Very pleased to find your superb WS site.
Glad to have you on board, your trip has just started…
Hello Roger , love your dedication to the WS cause. I am a plane collector (only a small number really, and don’t pay too much for them as a rule), but I had been eyeing off a run down A5 at a local market for a few months . $70 seemed a bit rich , but when we agreed on $40 , i just wanted to start the resto. Anyhow its done now and the lever cap looks amazing ( the chrome just looks plain beside it), all those brass screws as well. I am at loggerheads whether to repeat the red around the WS or not. Cheers and keep up the good work
Sorry it took me so long to reply, but we have been having problems with the site for about a year now.
PLEASE do go ahead and fill in the RED around the WS raised casting. Cleaned off the overspill with a piece of sharp wood or a fingernail .
With apologies,
Roger
HELLO AND THANK YOU!
I had purchased a A78 plane in 2014 along with some other hand tools. I had researched the A78 model with no luck. But I now know it was made by WS of Birmingham. And the logo Craftman’s choice which was incomplete is now decripted!
Great info.
Michelle
Very interesting study. I admire your patience and dedication.
Hi Roger, I have a WS A5 with a corrugated sole. I bought it at a flea market near Hamilton, Ontario in about 1982 or so. The dealer had an A4 & A5, both mint condition with corrugated soles, and I dearly wanted them both. Unfortunately I was newly married & my wife was in school, so our budget was tight. I had a 1950s Stanley #4 so I bought the A5. The blade is so much harder than the Stanley blades, & holds an edge beautifully. I went back to the flea market a few weeks later to buy the A4 but it was gone. The dealer knew nothing about the planes, and I have found out almost nothing in my sporadic searches over the years until I found your site today. I’m glad to learn a little bit about the company; they made great planes.
19.11.2020 I have today seen a number 7 in an antique dealer. Previously I have not been aware of this manufacturer and most certainly this is the first I have seen. In good tidy condition and at a cursory examination seemed undamaged. I have been an active collector of wood working tools for over 40 years but in recent times various factors have reduced my involvement. Not quite forgotten though! Graham Thompson, Christchurch, New Zealand.
This site is a brilliant resource. I’ve started collecting these beautiful hand planes recently and have just restored an A5 to use in my daily woodworking. The quality of the parts and castings is just outstanding and it is a crying shame more people aren’t aware of this manufacturer.
Thanks for all your hard work and research.
I love this site. I bought a house with contents, and in the shed (this is in the UK) there was a WS A5 plane in good condition (I think I still have the box too). I’m a passionate woodworker, so I’ve set it to use and it performs well. One of the first things I did was grind a small camber on the cutter. At some point I may replace the chipbreaker with a thicker one, because I find the one it comes with is a bit flimsy but that’s true of other makes in this period. That doesn’t prevent me from appreciating it though, and your site reinforces it’s history and uniqueness (especially that brass lever cap). Thank you
Thank you for putting up this informative website.
I recently found an A78 here in Sydney Australia, but I dont know how it got here, perhaps with an immigrant.
I can send photos if they are of interest to you.
Hi, I have been given a gift of a no 4 ws plane. Unfortunately its missing its blade and cap. Do you know if its possible to find these parts?
regards,
Keith
I inherited my father’s WS #4 plane many years ago, but having been very busy, plus a collection of planes from my local toy shop (Lee Valley), it was not a high priority. Now I am (almost) retired I have decided to check it out. The plane has been sitting in its original box at the back of a drawer in my workshop. Not having heard of WS Tools, I did an internet search and found this site. I have looked over the plane and it is in excellent condition (no paint splatter!!): The tote and knob look almost new, with the decal on the tote intact. The paint is bright with no chips. The brass cap was grubby, but otherwise good and I noted that it had been coated with a shellac, or similar. I cleaned it up and it gleams!
Went through the usual procedures to clean it up and it looks almost new. Needless to say it cut just fine.
Reading your bio, I note you lived in Rayleigh. We lived in Westcliff when I think my father bought this. I also now live in Canada.
Richard,
I have just read your email for the first time. These Guestbook comments are not being forwarded to me!!!
Where abaouts in Canada do you live?? Roger. Ayr, Ont.
Have a WS 5 1/2 sitting in my shed
It rests in Gippsland Victoria Australia
Is it resting comfortably?
Have a 51/2
I bought a No. 4 1/2 plane in a second-hand shop in Sydney a week or so ago. I bought it for future woodworking, and am very unlikely to fully restore it, but will need to clean it up somewhat and resharpen the blade.
It has suffered from a drop or other incident at some stage, as the threaded rod in the front handle is bent and the wooden handle damaged.
The components all appear to be in line with descriptions on this site, except for the depth adjuster. I have no idea if that could mean that it’s a replacement part.
Just got your email, we have a site malfunction.
What is wrong with the depth adjuster? Rog
The depth adjusters you show have two rings of straight knurling with a smooth part between. Mine doesn’t have the smooth part in between; the entire width is knurled, and with diagonal cross-hatched knurling.
Just bought a WS A5.1/2 plane. About to dismantle and refurb it for regular use.
Good luck…just follow the directions on the site about restoring a WS plane.
Rog
Hello and thanks for putting this site up! I stumbled across it after acquiring a 151C buried in a bunch of really old tools left in my garage. Can you share what paint(s) you use to restore? I think my spokeshave needs a full blast and paint to return to its former glory.
Dave,
I live in Canada and we have a hardware store here that produces a dark blue with a hint of red very close to the WS colour. So really if you experiment with a Dark Royal Blue and add a touch of red you may be close to original.
Rog
My fathers hand me down A6 has been idle for many years but in excellent condition but decided to do a restoration of it in his honour.
After I started the procedure I found your site after googling WS wood planes, kinda wish I found it before I got into it.
My A6 is coming along great. As it has been in the family since it was purchased new in the early 50’s or late 40’s I found that the steel screws are not blued but natural finish , your thoughts?
I am a retired tool and die maker and presently working on designing a fixture to sharpen the blade on a pedestal grinder.
I’m in Welland Ontario
Cheers
I just today received a WS A78 from a Canadian lady who says that her father bought it new, so I’ll be the 2nd user. This is a companion to the 4 1/2 that I bought a few years ago.
Unfortunately, my a78 is missing the depth stop (gauge) aand screw. If anyone happens to read this who can report, I would like to know the threads per inch of the depth gauge screw.
Thanks,
Paul