[img_assist|nid=1049127|title=surform|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=332] Used this one since I was a wee lad. Stanly#285 with adjustable handle.
Tool pictures are good!
Aloha Everyone:
As promised here is a photo showing all of the Surforms I have managed to collect since first posting this thread. I have scored what I believe are some great tools and am really enjoying using some of them.
Mahalo to everyone that steered me towards some of these that were up on eBay. Half of them came from the UK and the others were scored here in the US.
In case anyone is wondering what the big deal is with these tools over other versions of the Surform that have been available through the years. First off the comfort of these is so much better, they are also heavier and more solid, and just have an amazing feel in your hand. The handles are also more comfortable especially the wooden ones, but for me the single most important element is the fact that the tightening bolt is at the FRONT of the tool instead of the back for more recent versions. This is especially critical if you are using Microplaner blades as the screw tends to pull up a little on the blade creating a cupping effect when tightened. If the screw is at the back and you are using the planer as a pull tool this can be a real bummer as it can catch and flip and doesn’t cut as cleanly.
I’m a happy camper now that I have a stash of these tools again, I lost the original ones I had back when I first started shaping over 40 years ago.
Mahalo everyone!
Robin My Surform is identical to nos. 2 and 3 in your pic, except the front handle is rounder.
I found it in a cupboard when we were cleaning out the house I was raised in, in preparation for sale - no idea where it came from, I can only guess it must’ve belonged to my Gramps, given the apparent age.
I hadn’t built a board then but I dug it out when I started shaping.
It’s made my day to find out I’ve got at least one item in my shaping kit that’s coveted by an accomplished builder!