Collectable Levels

Collectable Levels

Carpentry and woodworking is one of the oldest professions in the world, and with it comes old and beautiful tools like collectible measuring rules, vintage plumb bobs, and more. Not only are these items collectible and have stood the test of time, they are also often still usable. Having one or more adds a bit of history to your shop while remaining useful for current projects of the modern artisan.

There’s nothing like the smooth feel of a well-planed wooden surface. Planes vary greatly in size and length. Small, vintage hand planes are made of steel and fit nicely in the palm. They are great for smoothing out narrow surfaces like the side of a cabinet shelf. Due to their metal construction, they can last for years indoors, and all they really need is an occasional sharpening to consistently give you thin beautiful curls of wood with every stroke.

Plumb bobs are one of the earliest tools ever made. First seen in ancient Egypt, they ensure that structures are perfectly vertical or aligned with the nadir. These are basically weights made of metal shaped like a bullet with an extremely precise point on the bottom end. They are suspended with a string, wire, or tube. The plumb bob indicates when a building is vertical by pointing at a reference spot on the floor called the datum, which is typically in the centre of a building. Since these tools date a long way back, many intricately designed antiques are floating around on the market.

Woodwork and carpentry collectibles come in the form of antique tools. The earliest boring tools were hand drills that used a hand crank to spin a long drill bit. The oldest ones feature a T design, but were improved to include a C-shaped hand crank, which was more stable. Subsequently, the eggbeater design became popular for its stability and ease of use. For any enthusiast, there is a wide selection of collectable tools, hardware, and locks.