Skip Stanley: The Antique Tool Brand To Search For At Thrift Stores

There's something quite charming about antique tools. They tell tales of a time when craftspeople took their time and lovingly created things by hand. The tools that they used were made with precision, and it took skill to use them effectively. Some of the more popular brands, like Stanley, were decorated with detailed designs. This is why antique Stanley tools are so sought-after by collectors, and why they can fetch eye-watering prices online and at auctions. However, if you've been trying to spot vintage Stanley tools at thrift stores to start your collection of antique tools, you may want to skip the search for this brand and look for Sargent tools instead.

Way back in the late 1800s, Sargent and Company started making hand planes in competition with Stanley. In fact, by 1888, Sargent had seven different sizes of bench planes and 19 block planes. The company continued to make hand planes until 1964, when their focus turned to crimp technology tools instead. You'll also find that Sargent made transitional planes, including Auto-Set ones, between 1912 and 1943. The planes were mainly constructed of cast iron, and the handles and knobs were made from either rosewood or mahogany in the early days before switching to just plain hardwood later on.

While the price of Stanley planes often reach multiple thousands of dollars, you'll find that Sargent ones are much more affordable, as well as being comparable in quality. Some of the earlier model planes are labeled VBM, which stands for Very Best Made. If you're looking on online antique marketplaces, prices for Sargent planes range from about $50 to as high as just over $1,000 for a rare plane in mint condition. Therefore, you'll find that these woodworking hand tools are tools that are always worth buying at the thrift store — you just have to know what you're looking for.

It's not that difficult to identify Sargent tools because the brand name should be stamped onto the cast iron. You might even get lucky and find a brass-badged one. These were only made in limited numbers between 1927 and 1939, and don't have the number cast on the bottom. While collecting antique tools for display is a great hobby, don't be afraid to use these tools, though you'll probably need to clean and restore them first. You may be impressed with their quality and precision. Once the collector bug hits you and you want to find these vintage tools worth good money at places beyond thrift stores, you might want to peruse estate sales, scrap yards, and even yard sales to see if you can hunt down a Sargent plane in need of a new home.