Black and white logo with the words The Tool Archive.

EVERY TOOL

TELLS A STORY.

AN ARCHIVAL RECORD

AND MARKETPLACE.

The Tool Archive is not affiliated with any manufacturers

as an official distributor or otherwise.‍ ‍

ARCHIVE MARKETPLACE

Featured Offerings

(Click “Shop” for many more):

HNT Gordon 27
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HNT Gordon 27" Jointer - Bull Oak - Signed by the Maker
$1,095.00

A twenty-seven-foot-long jointer plane that would flatten the Rocky Mountains in three passes!

Okay, a 27-inch jointer that will flatten most boards a woodworker is likely to encounter. #getreal #planetruth #hashtag

A stunning HNT Gordon custom-build, Australian Bull Oak jointer plane. Box signed by the maker, Terry Gordon. This razee-style plane is unreal. Well, no, it’s real. We mean it’s unbelievable…ugh, do we have to explain everything? We’ll just let the plane do the talking since it’s much more captivating than our gibberish.

One final note: if you have not yet had the pleasure of pulling translucent-thin shavings with an HNT Gordon wooden plane, boy are you in for a treat! Using an HNT Gordon hand plane is best described simply: pure bliss. Really. Not kidding this time.

Okay, one more final note: If it wasn’t obvious, the plane is dead mint, unused, with the iron still in its plastic wrap.

Final-final note, we swear: With a Norris-style adjuster on this 27” beast, even you can f^@% up the setup. It’s a breeze!

Stanley Bed Rock 603 Bench Plane (Smoother) Stanley Bed Rock 603 Bench Plane (Smoother)
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Stanley Bed Rock 603 Bench Plane (Smoother)
$375.00

Holy guacamole! That tote is out of this world! And appears original. This is, quite possibly, the most bitchin’ 603 ever. Missing a bit of its original japanning right in front of the mouth. But who cares? Look at that plane! It’s fantastic.

Ships to you exceedingly well-packed, insured, and looking like a supermodel. Like Hansel, that 603 is so hot right now.

Norris No. 13 - Malleable Iron (Smoother) Norris No. 13 - Malleable Iron (Smoother)
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Norris No. 13 - Malleable Iron (Smoother)
$750.00

Excellent pre-war Norris smooth plane. But for a small chip on the right side of his tote, the furniture on this guy is totally intact and awesome. Please don’t say anything to him about the pitting on his cheeks. He had a rough bout with acne in his teenage years (around 100 years ago) and he’s still self-conscious about the scars. We told him to wear ‘em with pride because it makes him a badass. He’s coming around to the idea, but not there yet.

Ships to you exceedingly well-packed, insured, and ready to rumble. Badasses rumble, right? Fonzie said so.

Stanley No. 41  - Miller's Patent Adjustable Plow Plane - w/Full+ Irons Set
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Stanley No. 41 - Miller's Patent Adjustable Plow Plane - w/Full+ Irons Set
$1,100.00

If they made hand planes for royalty, we think they’d probably look a lot like a Miller’s Patent 41 (or 42). Almost too fancy for woodworking. Almost.

This fancy example has an original fillitster bed, later-type fence and a full set of Miller’s Patent cutting irons in their original box (minus the box top). Some of the irons have been user-modified with some extra grinding on one side that either doesn’t change the width or changes it very little. The exception is a 7/16 iron that is ground on both sides down to approx. 3/8. But, best news ever! There’s an extra, unaltered 7/16. That means you get 11 irons (including the fillister iron in the plane) for the price of 10! That’s even better than getting a 13th donut free when you buy 12. But don’t tell the clerk at Dunkin’ Donuts we said that. We don’t want to hurt his feelings and we appreciate that he knows our coffee order by heart.

So say “yes” and get excited for this beauty to show up at your house. The day it arrives, you become Royalty living not in a humble “house,” but in a Grand Castle. If the neighbor kids laugh at you, just banish them from your kingdom.

Ships to your castle carefully packed and insured.

H. Slater Infill Smoothing Plane
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H. Slater Infill Smoothing Plane
$875.00

We often wonder at night if H. Slater might be related to A.C. Slater of Saved by the Bell fame. We could easily find out the answer is “no.” But we prefer the mystery and intrigue.

This might be the coolest infill smoother we’ve had our hands on. Sure, Norris planes are great and all. And yeah, Spiers, Mathieson, Preston - all wonderful tools. But this one has a certain je ne sais quoi about it.

Cast steel body, 7-1/2” tapered sole, rosewood infill and wedge. 2-1/4 C. Nurse iron, slightly spalled. Marked H. Slater, Maker, London on the wedge. Light corrosion on the cheeks. Slight wiggle in the front bun that we left alone. Mesmerizingly nice rosewood.

Planes marked H. Slater with a wedge held by lugs are few and far between (that’s how we say it’s rare without using the r-word).

Ships excessively well-packed and insured. That’s like wearing a belt and suspenders.

Norris No. A-71 Beech Jack Plane Norris No. A-71 Beech Jack Plane
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Norris No. A-71 Beech Jack Plane
$850.00

Stunner example of a Norris A-71 Beech jack-size plane. Comes in at about 17-1/4”. Iron and chipbreaker likely original. Iron has more rust than ideal and some pitting. Wood overall in excellent condition - very well preserved. Sole and mouth in good shape, though flatness not checked.

Have a nice relaxing day at the beech with this beautiful plane! It’s an inanimate object and even it’s cringing at our total failure at puns. Oh well, we’ll try again tomorrow.

Ships to you excessively well packed and insured. That’s like wearing a belt and suspenders!

About

THE TOOL ARCHIVE

The Tool Archive specializes in woodworking hand tools with stories to tell and stories still to be written. We source, archive, and offer the finest antique, vintage, and premium modern hand tools for discerning collectors and users. Hand planes, saws, chisels, marking and measuring instruments, and more.

The Archive marketplace regularly features collector-grade and top-notch user tools made by highly respected manufacturers, including:

  • Stanley

  • Norris

  • Spiers Ayr

  • Record

  • Union

  • Lie-Nielsen

  • Veritas

  • Bridge City

  • Blue Spruce

  • Bad Axe

  • HNT Gordon

Whether you’re looking for the right tool to fill that empty spot in your collection or a ready-to-use heirloom tool that will last for generations, browse The Archive’s current marketplace offerings. If we don’t have it now, check back often or send us a note. We can’t promise to find special requests, but we’re happy to be on the lookout.

We also buy tools fit for The Archive. If you have a tool you’d like to sell that belongs in a discerning collector’s display or in a passionate craftsperson’s hands, send us an email or give us a call.

We hope you enjoy browsing The Tool Archive’s curated selection of the finest woodworking hand tools. We’re confident you’ll find a tool that speaks to you.

A note about the name, The Tool Archive.

Shhhhh! Inside voices, people. Use your inside voices.

“The Tool Archive” is undoubtedly a serious, even stuffy, sounding name. Browsing our Marketplace listings, however, you’ll find we’re not so serious after all. Yes, this site is about incredible and beautiful tools. And, yes, those tools deserve our respect. They certainly have it. But we have a somewhat quirky sense of humor, on the dry side, that frequently tends to comment on the humor baked into the routine, the mundane, and the absurd. And we do occasionally poke fun at our own obsession with fine tools—and likely your similar obsession if you’re reading this.

We do not mean to offend or criticize. So we hope you will take the attempts at humor sprinkled across these pages in the spirit we intend them in and chuckle a little. Maybe even laugh out loud. Seems we’d all be better off if we laughed a little more often.

Serious tools, serious craft, but within the comedy of life. Enjoy browsing The Tool Archive.

Coming Soon to

THE TOOL ARCHIVE

THE TOOL ARCHIVE

Bookstore

We are preparing to launch a one-of-a-kind bookstore, offering books, periodicals, and other writings about woodworking, woodworking tools, and collecting.

If you value history and tangible creations the way we do, information from AI and social media influencers will never replace the nostalgic scent of a dusty library, the weight of an old book in your hands, or the sound of a page flipping as the binder’s hardened glue crackles quietly.

Unlike other stores that offer only a selection of in-print materials, The Archive Bookstore’s offerings will include carefully selected vintage and antique texts, as well as modern texts, containing a wealth of practical and historical information. If you’re passionate about woodworking and the tools of the craft, The Archive Bookstore will have something that speaks to you.

Sign up below to receive announcements from The Tool Archive and be the first to know when the Archive Bookstore opens its virtual doors.

Contact The Tool Archive

If you're here, we're friends already.

We share your passion for woodworking hand tools with stories to tell and stories still to be written.

Contact The Tool Archive today by phone or email. We'll be in touch as soon as we can to answer any questions or just talk tools.