This is a small gunmetal chariot plane made by John Holland in the late 19th Century.
There’s limited information available online about John Holland. He was a skilled planemaker who practiced his craft in Lambeth, South London, from 1861 to 1892, a period often referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ of infill planes. He lived at two different addresses during this time: 68 Oakley Street and later 93 York Road, both in Lambeth. Interestingly, during his time at 93 York Road, he had a notable neighbor who was also producing infill planes – a man named Thomas Norris! (more about him later)
The plane is 3 3/8″ long with a 1 1/8″ wide blade.
Note the decorative shaping of the bottom of the wedge.
The bridge holding the wedge in place is pinned on one side and fastened with a screw on the other.
The wooden infill under the blade has split.
The front of the plane is well worn, but the ‘Holland London’ makers stamp is still readable.
Notice the toe of the plane is a separate piece held in place by 2 screws from the top (you can see them in the previous photo).
My plane has a Ward blade – but I’ve seen examples on the internet with blades by other well known makers.
Back to my mention of Thomas Norris – he also produced a gunmetal chariot plane that based on the photos I’ve seen looked very similar to John Hollands (but then again – other makers also made very similar planes). The biggest difference though is the Norris versions didn’t seem to have the toe as a separate piece.