A clean unhandled coffin smoothing plane marked “BUCK, 242, TOTTENHAM CT RD” on the gunmetal lever cap and, most likely, made by Thomas Norris of London. George Buck occupied these premises from 1880 to 1930 and I would say this particular plane is a later model rather than an earlier one.
The Brazilian rosewood infill is quite dark on this plane (darker than it appears in the pictures). The rear of the front bun has a gentle rounded arc and the dovetails, while noticeable, are still tight even after 100 or so years. The metalwork has only superficial pitting, and the metal edge of the toe has been stamped “STEEL”, denoting that the plane’s shell has been dovetailed rather than cast.
The plane measures 7-3/8″ in length and is 2-3/8″ wide. The cutting iron is made by Ward and is 2″ wide. There is no maker’s mark on the top iron.
As stated earlier, many planes with the Buck mark were actually made by other planemakers, most notably Norris, Holland and Slater.
The Buck family were truly a tool making and retailing dynasty, spanning several generations and some 260 years! The name still continues today with two separate businesses, Buck & Ryan of Tottenham Court Road and Buck & Hickman (various locations throughout Britain).
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