Extra Fine Vaughan & Bushnell No. 703 Drop Forged Smoothing Plane V&B 9 x 1 3/4\" For Sale

Up for sale is an extra fine vintage Vaughan & Bushnell No. 703 \"Unbreakable\" drop forged smoothing plane, circa 1923 - 1935. A No. 3 sized smoothing plane. 9\" long and 2 1/8\" wide. Weighs 3lb, 6.5oz. The cutter is 1 3/4\" wide and about 7\" long.

Condition: Near mint. Purchased from the estate of a Boston based master woodworker and furniture maker. The japanning on the body is excellent and intact. The highly polished finish on the cheeks looks great as well. They almost appear nickel plated. All of the hardware is original. The walnut tote and handle are fully intact. The handle has a couple of minor blemishes to the finish. The cutter is sharp and ready to use. The chip breaker is stamped \"703\" and the number \"54\" is stamped into the underside of the cap lever.

History: Vaughan & Bushnell was unique for offering fully drop forged hand planes from their Chicago factory. Steel made with a drop forge resists damage that would cause a cast steel plane to crack. The drawback was that it was a more expensive process that required investment in large forges. V&B started out with drop forged products and had already invested in the facilities long before they got into the plane manufacturing business. This allowed V&B to offer a unique product with an edge over the established competition.

The 700 line was their mid range plane offered from 1923 to 1935. They featured walnut handles, brass hardware, and highly polished drop forged steel bodies. The frog and body mating surface is very similar to that of Stanley\'s high-end Bedrock planes and offers the same benefits. See last two photos for catalog illustrations for your reference.

References credited & additional reading:

Vaughan & Bushnell Manufacturing Co. : Catalogue No. 30 (available at archive dot org)