Handplane Central

The scans below are from the Thomas Norris & Son catalog of 1914. The catalog features the entire range of Norris hand planes, from dovetailed smoothers, panel planes and jointers right down to tiny violin makers planes cast in bronze. Mitre planes, shoulder planes and rebate planes are also featured, along with bullnose planes and chariot planes. The cheaper cast iron and gunmetal bench planes are included in the catalog as well, as are the new “Stanley style” planes.

Along with Stewart Spiers, Norris was arguably the most well known maker of infill planes and many collectors have favored these planes for their beauty and workmanship. One such reason for their popularity may be the unique Norris adjusters that were fitted to some of the later planes. At the time of this 1914 catalog this adjuster was a brand new addition to the range.

It is interesting to see some of the other products found in the catalog, such as the “Norris High Pitch Setting Device” and the “Iron Fronts for Smoothing Planes”. The knife handles are an oddity though, as they’re a bit of a deviation from handplanes.

It should be noted that a printed reproduction of this 1914 Norris catalog, along with the 1928 Norris catalog, can be purchased from Ken Roberts Publishing Co. or through Tom Witte. There may be other versions out there as well.

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