Nineteenth century joiners tools.

These are my Grandfathers woodworking hand tools. He was born in 1870 so I assume he started work age twelve or so. That would be 1882. His father Isaac Kell was born 1840 and the two W.Dibb of York tongue and groove matching planes are stamped I.Kell. In the 1920's he made a corner cabinet and two picture frames from Paul N. Haslucks book 'Wood Carving'. I have both the furniture the Addis carving tools and the book.

He was an Estate Joiner up in north Northumberland (New Bewick I think) when he met my Grandmother, early in the first war. They married in 1917 and I have an Ansonia clock, two oil paintings by his brother Eddie (Gateshead) and a year clock - all wedding presents. Sometime 1920/30 he had the 'General Havelock' public house at Haydon Bridge, either before or after he had his own joiner, undertaker, wheelwright business at Powburn, I still have some blank bill heads used on the revers as jottings of Robbie Burns poetry - my Dad was always called Robbie after the great poet. His first big job was for Alnwick Brewery, and also according to my Grandmother he persisted for six or seven years though when down to their last twenty pounds (.... maybe less?) she pushed him to close at Powburn and get a paid employment. So, he got Foreman joiner at a local builders. Hence the two new starters coming back up to woodworking evening class to ask or tell me that my Grandad was Foreman joiner and how he would have 'chased them with an axe' if they had been seen paring onto a bench top without a cutting board. Thirty five years later memory of him persisted. I remember as a kid Jim Gregory lived two doors away and he was regarded as a craftsman joiner of the highest order, expert saw sharpener (by hand) and he served his time under my Grandad Kell.

We can only wonder at the working conditions, the hours worked each week and the pace that was set.

From the first war a piece of shrapnel remained embedded in one eye all his life. He was a keen gardener, as I am and grew his own tobacco for his pipe. I can remember the old baccy presses lying outside the old hut for many years. Even as a child I was fascinated with tools and devices.

i am a self employed toolmaker (est 1983) and make my own range of marking and measuring hand toold and honing guides for woodworkers, see
http://www.richardkell.co.uk .... main website
http://richardkell.livejournal.com .... workshop blog

Category:

Education

Tags:

• richard kell
• old tools
• woodworking hand tools
• joiners tools
• collectable hand tools
• family history
• our ancestors
• woodworking
• joinery

[vintagemachines1]

I enjoyed your showing us your grandfather's tools. Your love, respect and pride are obvious. Ignore the idiots like brithesaw.

[brithesaw]

nice old tools, and the history behind them:)

[shawnio]

I can barely understand a word you said, the video quality is atrocious too by the way



[julioyaldonza]

DID YOU EVER DARE TO PROVE YOUR SKILLS WITH THE MYSTERIOUS RISING DOVETAIL ? PUT AN EYE TO LEARN HOW-TO AT MY CHANNEL BY CLICKING ON MY NAME AND YOU´LL GET ROY UNDERHILL TO ENVY YOU ;D !!!

YOU WILL SEE MY MORTISE AND TENON ATTEMPT...ENJOY IT !!!

THANKS

[tokeaspliff]

Class items m8 ,have some my granfather gave me and still use some of them today

[sz42781]

I have some old tools from my Great Grandfather, some I have no Idea what they are for mabey I will post