This heading comes courtesy of the ‘Working By Hand‘ website – which is also a source of a lot of the information below. I have also used information from ‘The Sargent Planes Page‘.
The 5206 block plane was hailed as light, unbreakable, and indestructible, making them pocket-friendly for carpenters to carry in their aprons.
Comprising three pressed steel parts (excluding the blade) — the body, the frog, and the lever cap — this block plane lacked lateral and throat adjustment mechanisms. The frog, welded to the body, featured a section for anchoring the depth-adjustment screw, topped with a palm-supporting mushroom-like cap. The “Hand-y” on each side was a cutout rather than a depression, a consequence of thinner pressed steel usage.
Some Details
Features: Adjustable, All-Steel, Low Angle, with screw adjustment
Manufactured: 1912 to 1947
Patents: December 14, 1915 (plane design) (William E. Sparks)
Length: 6 inches
Cutter Width: 1⅝ inches
Construction: Folded steel, spot welded, knob on body (1912 to 1915); Folded steel, spot welded, knob on lever cap (1916 to 1918)
Finish: Nickel Plated (1912 to 1941); Cadmium Plated (1942 to 1947), also Black Nitrate (1943 to 1946), and possibly Painted or Blued (dates unknown)
Based on the information available – my 5206 comes from the tail-end of the lifecycle.
- The logo on the blade indicates it is a ‘Type 5″ which covered the period 1942-1947
- While it is well used – the coating seems to be black nitrate. This brings the period in further to 1943-1946.
The plane has been well used, but is still in good working condition. This lives up to it’s reputation of being indestructible.
Here is the Cousin of my Sargent 5206
Interestingly, I have a virtually identical plane, but the blade is marked ‘Fulton’. Fulton were a Sears & Roebuck brand.
It seems that Fulton branded planes were made by Sargent. But in searching for Fulton block planes I cannot fine one that matches the Sargent 5206.
