18th Century Wrought Iron Chariot Plane

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At over 200 years old this Italian made chariot plane would've looked at home amongst the shavings of the great violin makers of the past. Made of wrought iron, and measuring around 5 inches long, the sole of the plane has been brazed or welded with copper to the sides to form a box. A cross pin has been inserted and peened so as to hold the wedge and cutting iron in place. As can be seen in one of the photos, some of the weld has cracked and fallen out, but the plane is still quite sturdily constructed and occasionally sees use at the workbench. The unmarked 1-1/2 inch wide cutter has been bent and rounded over at the back so that it won't "bite" into the hand during use, forming a simple, yet effective, handle.

The attractive shaping along the top edge of the chariot plane, so called because it looks like a Roman chariot, has been shaped and filed by hand. Though the wedge is roughly hewn and looks quite old it is, unfortunately, a more modern replacement, having only been made some 30 or 40 years ago.

Bought from a dealer in Southern France some years ago, this wrought iron chariot plane is part of the authors personal collection.