Folks… it’s been awhile since I last stopped in. Lot’s of family estate probate stuff to plow through, our oldest cat took sick and eventually passed away, and of course enough thunder storms to make Massachusetts feel like Florida.
But I’m back with a good little item for your pleasure. If you get tired of the high price of planes, take a look at this gem:
Hills & Richards Planemakers Price List / Catalog, Norwich, MA 1833
over at The Toolemera Press website (it’s in the signature, why waste more url’s?)
It just might make you drool a bit.
Enjoy
Gary
Replies
Thank you- always interesting to view items from the past.
So now the question is:
------------" How many hours would a first year apprentice have to work in order to accumulate enough to purchase a plane at an average price such as $1.75?"
To put it another way: what was the hourly wage rate for say a first year appy , or "new" journeyman?Philip Marcou
Edited 7/28/2008 1:35 am by philip
PhillipFrom what I can remember, in the Mid-Atlantic states in the middle 1800's, the average journeyman carpenter made around $1.50 per day for contract work, barely $1.00 a day for piecework. The average laborer made $2.00 a day. The apprentice made nothing. Typically, the apprentice worked for training, room and board. The master craftsman was responsible for outfitting the apprentice with a basic tool set upon graduation to journeyman. At least that is how it was supposed to happen.I've always assumed that many very old tools remain in good condition due to their expense and value placed upon them by the early users.GaryGary Roberts
Dedham, MA USA
http://www.toolemera.com
http://toolemerablog.typepad.com/
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled