Geo Burnham Jr skew 1 inch rabbet plane

 Part of my recent distractions.

While I cleaned the iron and the body, a few marks started to shows up.

The iron is stamped W Butch..  which is the abbreviated stamps of Williams Butcher of Sheffield England.

The classic stamp of Williams Butcher from Sheffield England on small blades

W Butcher

O >---> *

A circle with the letter B inside follow by a small arrow then a Maltese cross

see source for more TMs

Typical W Butcher stamp on large plane blade

pic source https://burtonworkshop.wordpress.com/tag/w-butcher/

Butcher made excellent laminated blades. Many plane makers used his irons and planes are often mislabeled W Butcher because it is the obvious stamp on it, sometimes the only one visible.

In the 1830s his business exporting edge tools to the US was booming, he had a US agent established in New York.

His irons have been used by English, Canadian and American planemakers.  In order to establish its provenance we need more clues from the plane itself.  Length (long standardized at 9-1/2 inch long), Width 1 inch, Style of constructions, material used Beech, style of the wedge finial, maker stamps on the nose (Incluse or Sig-Zag borders) versus owners marks, Model Number and size stamped in the back etc.

Hard to see but I detected a faint imprints on the nose.

After a light scraping it shows up better

Could only made out a few letters, but could read Amherst Mass.

So off to my book American Wooden planes.

 to look it up and turns out it is a  

GEO BURHAM JR.

AMHERST

MASS

Pic obviously from above book.

You can clearly see the Geo Burnham Jr mark.

Same as we have.

There also another arching mark above and something else in the lower banner.

My hand doodle of what I saw

Not sure about the letters I shown around  banner

This is what the markings looks like under the microscope

You are seeing RST (Amherst) and under AS (Mass).

Ill try a light scraping and punch the contrast on the pics

Not to be confused with a owners mark, this one really look like an overstruck mark.

Probably a hardware store sellers marks or overstruck with a new name after a merge of business, as was common practice until old stock was used up.

The ones I've seen in my research are Union Factory (Chapin) over a D Copeland stamped plane, and Arrowmammett Works over others.

What else can the body reveal?

9-1/2 inch long, the new standard for wooden moulding planes, so 19th century, 1 inch wide.

We already know that Geo Burnham Jr made planes from 1841-1860 (1844-1853 for that particular stamp) 

So lets assume 1850 until we find something else

The cuts are clean and well executed, commercially made.

The body is beech but seems to have a brown coat of paint (residues in non wear areas) over its original brown stain.  Will probably end up removing some on the nose to better see the trade names stampings

The wedge throw be off a bit.

According to what I have seen so far, in books and on line, my wedge shape is wrong. But it sure fit perfectly and has the right coloring marks to appears genuine or has been there a long time.

So how could that happened?  Numerous plane makers made parts or complete planes on contract for other plane makers.  Some both under their own imprints and under various other stamps, others simply, their own personal production and stamps.

Back in those days, they were also more frugal than we are today.  Waste not, want not. As the various business merged or sold out, their own inventories were not wasted, they simply overstruck the new trade stamps on it. Add a hardware store ( resellers) stamp and various owners stamps, some quite ornate and we have a lot of stamps confusing the issue of who made it???

Each plane makers had its own preferred wedge finial shape.  In a world of countless look like planes, the wedge finial was their signature so to speak.  Each would have its own wedge template, ensuring they all look alike.  Since they also did contract works for other plane makers  (parts or complete plane), the same shop would be making different wedge shape for different shops, could this one slip by in error? 

Each wedge is final fitted to each plane, they would not had waste time and the wrong wedge by making a replacement.  It fit, it work, it goes out for sale.

Will the real Georges Burnham please stand up :-)

Will need to dive in deeper into his history to make more sense of this slip up.

 

This is the wedge finial shape as recorded in  

American Wooden Planes 4th edition

Image from tool sellers

Look at the wedge shape

 

Mine is clearly different.

Light areas are scraped to remove some minor damages, will be re-stained lightly

The finial has a more elongated shape and the ramp up is more gradual, not as abrupt

By then I had figured out the faint markings on the plane nose

ARROWMAMMETT

MIDDLETOWN

What follow is the rabbit hole I fell into.  When the grand kids asked me what are you doing Grampa? Thinking of my friends Ralph and Dianne I said: I am looking up dead people :-)

Quickly going down the rabbit hole

A quick foreword to my abbreviated timeline history.

In the days prior to industrialization, each planes were made by hand by a specialized worker, a Journeyman apprenticed by a planemaker, either father or other.

The apprenticeship programs in the 1700s and early 1800s were loosely organized, their being no guild nor was it possible to enforced much.

Typical apprenticeship  would be for boys age 14 to 17 and lasted until they turned 21.

How long the apprenticeship varies with the trade complexity, but lets assume an apprenticeship of 4 to 5 years until 21 or so. for a typical plane maker in the 1800s

Source of some above info from Economic History Association

At the completion of their apprenticeship, they became "apprenticed or Journeyman" they would then often move from shops to shops and once they had enough money saved would established their own business.  That explain why they were numerous short lived associations between plane makers, some also engaged in more than one association at the time. 

Some planemaker shops also contracted outside work to supply them with parts such as plane body, wedge, handle or tote and in almost all case; plane irons. 

Such parts were made by individual or other plane maker shops (larger contract) and also saw the use of convicts in jail.  A practice that was decreed by other plane makers as being uncompetitive, the prisoners labour was cheap.  

Notice the difference in the wedges?

And down we go, follow the bouncing ball ;-)

Events recorded by year, added when these planemakers reached the age of 21 and the Number beside their age at 21 is refer to in the following year entries.

17XX Luther Fox is born------------------------------------------Age 21 in 181X     1

1792 James Kellog is born. Amherst MA -----------------------Age 21 in 1813      2

1794 Daniel Copeland is born. Sturbridge MA (D1854) ------Age 21 in 1815      3

1799 Hermon Chapin is born (D1866) -------------------------- Age 21 in 1820       4

1807 Truman Nutting is born (D1891) -------------------------- Age 21 in 1828       5

1807 Austin Baldwin is born (D1886) --------------------------- Age 21 in 1828       6

1808 Aaron Ferry is born ------------------------------------------ Age 21 in 1829       7

1814 Benoni Thayer is born -------------------------------------- Age 21 in 1835        8

1817 Georges (Geo) Burnham Jr is born (D1893) ----------- Age 21 in 1838          9

1818 Hiram Fox is born Son of Luther Fox -------------------- Age 21 in 1839        10

1822 (3) D&M Copeland Hartford CT until 1825.  Daniel, Melvin, were brothers also with Alfred

1822 (4) Hermon Chapin apprenticed May 22nd at D&M Copeland (Daniel & Melvin)

1826 Copeland (Daniel) & Chapin (Hermon)

1826 Melvin and Alfred Copeland.  M&A Copeland until 1830

1828 H Chapin buy out Copeland (Daniel) and establish Union factory in CT.

        It will becomes the most important plane manufacturer in  New England.  Will operate under                  various names until 1929

1829 (5) Truman Nutting start making plane.  Will last until 1852

1829 (7) Aaron Ferry turned 21 and is known to have work for T Nutting

1830 Melvin & Alfred, M&A Copeland cease becomes Daniel and Melvin Copeland.  D&M Copeland

1830 (6) Austin & Elbridge Baldwin.  A&E Baldwin New York, until 1841

1831 Luther Fox made planes in Amherst MA until 1843

1834 Nutting & Fox June 19 1834 to Sep 14 1836 (Luther and Truman)

1834 (10) Hiram Fox works for Truman Nutting and Luther Fox,  Nutting & Fox. Must be apprentice

1834 (8) Benoni Thayer made planes for Truman Nutting shop (as apprentice?) and Nutting & Fox

1835 (2) J. Kellog started making planes at Eli Dickinson's faucet shop. in Nuttingville, part of Amherst MA .  During the same period, 1835-67 he also operated a mercantile store.  Would had finished his apprenticeship at 21 in 1813, a late comer to the field or simply lack of documented info?

1835 Williams Lyman (WL) Wasburn makes planes in Amherst MA until 1840

1835 Fox & Washburn 1835-36.  Luther and Williams. Reportedly bought plane and parts from (Truman) Nutting & (Luther)Fox

1835 Fox, Nutting & Washburn a partnership of planemakers

1836  Aaron Ferry began work for Kennedy & Co

1836 Austin Baldwin establish the Arrowmammett Works in Middletown CT. 

            Arrowmammett was the trade name used by The Baldwin Tool Co for planes produced there.

           They also produced planes irons under Baldwin Tool Co (BTC)

1836 Nutting & Fox cease operation

1837 Benoni Thayer is listed as a grocer.  Was employed at Nutting & Fox prior

183X In the 30s Luther Fox made planes with his son Hiram,  L. Fox & Son

1837 Aaron Ferry marred Judith Nutting.  Daughter of Truman Nutting 1/2 brother Georges

1838 (9) Geo Burnham Jr apprenticed at H Chapin in CT.  

              Born 1817+14 = 1829+3 1831.  1817+21= 1838.  

              So probably apprenticed between 1829 and 1838

1839 Kellog, Fox & Washburn

1839 J Kellog move from South Amherst to a part of Amherst known as Kellogville, were he erected two factories, one wood, one brick.

1840 Kellog & Fox cease.  J. Kellog will continue to operate under his own name, J. Kellog

1841 Geo Burnham arrived in Amherst MA.  Work as Journeyman for Luther Fox

1841 A&E Baldwin cease,  Elbridge will operate a tool store until 1852

1842 Aaron Ferry moved to Kent OH

 1842 Luther Fox sell to 4 partners

- Geo Burnham Jr

- Hiram Fox (his son)

- Benoni Thayer.  Made planes for T. Nutting and Nutting & Fox 1834-36.  Start making planes again         1842-1844

- Aaron Ferry, who left for Kent OH same year.  Silent partner or sold out before leaving?

1843 Geo Burnham buy out his partners.  Now trade as Geo Burnham Jr

1849 J. Kellog listed as plane manufacturer in Amherst MA

1849 Globe Manufacturing Co established will operate until 1885.  Incorporated 1849, decertified 1905

1850 Benoni Thayer is listed as a Journeyman

1850 Arrowmammett Works produced 40,000 planes that year

1850 Geo Burnham listed as plane maker and axe handle manufacturer

1852 T Nutting leave Amherst MA for Olean NY  where he did carpentry

1853 Geo Burnham Jr stop making planes under his stamp

1854 T Nutting move to MN where he operated a hotel, farm and manufactured brooms.

1854 Middletown Tool Co until 1878

1857 Arrowmammett Catalog of 1857 illustrate the large quantity of different tools produced.

1857  (some says 1858 or 1860) Austin Baldwin sold the Baldwin Tool Co of Middletown CT (Arrowmammett Works ) to the Globe Mfg Co of Rhodestown CT (probably Middletown CT), who made only hardware and plane irons.  Have yet to find Rhodestown on the map??

To add to the confusion; Other sources says the Globe Mfg Co was also started by Austin  Baldwin in 1856.  Doubt that.

1860 Baldwin Tool Co cease operation

1860 Geo Burnham Jr listed as plane maker and axe handle manufacturer

1865 J Kellog made planes with his son under J. Kellog & Son (Williams) until 1867, at which time James, now 73 retired.

1869 Williams Kellog listed as plane maker

1878 Middletown Tool Co cease operation.  Declared insolvent in 1879, decertified 1905

1885 Globe Mfg Co cease operation. Decertified 1905

1886 After a flood carried away the mill dam and damaged the factory, W Kellog will cease operations

1929 The last incarnation of Chapin's Union factory cease operations.

The way the multiples planemakers listed interacted among the various shops may help explained the "wrong" shape of the wedge.  Have yet to figured out how a plane made by Geo Burnside Jr between 1843 and 1853 ended up overstamped by Arrowmammett works later, but it is not without precedent.

Most likely explanation was that he sold some of his production to Arrowmammett Works, which by the 1850s was becoming a big enterprise 

And lastly, the wedge finial shape resemble a lot more like a Arrowmammett finial.  Coincidences?? 

I think not.  There must be a connection there I have yet to find documented.

The wedge is in fact original to this plane.

Meanwhile the iron has been cleaned, the body washed and some small booboos fixed.

The blade after three dunking in Evaporust, wire brush and some sanding 120 grits in between to expose fresh rust.  When the flash does not reveal anymore brown spots I call it done and finish with a wiped coat of Autosol.  Surfaces as is now.  Will sand more when it get sharpened.

Bevel edge.  Surface pressing against frog

Back side.  Surface wedge press against.

No severe pitting near edge

Some before pics

Evaporust always reveal the lamination line.

Cutting edge on fine tools were a laminated piece of tool steel (Cast steel) 

forged welded to a softer wrought iron body

You can see how fast it tapers down on the side.

Lots of good cutting steel left on that blade. 

Look amazingly sharp as is, lets try it :-)

yeah you can butcher wood with it :-)

My pitiful attempt at making the shoulder no fence by hands, failed miserably 

and descended into a fecal matter.

But when pressed down straight..er it does peels off shavings

There is some small wood chips hanging on the blade edge.

Plane lock solid and release easy.

Will make a good worker. 

Meanwhile, I was asked to cleaned my mess into the living room area, books, tools etc...

There you go Dear, all cleaned up :-)

Apparently not, hummm

Some of the refences used in the making of this rabbet hole.  Mostly a paper exercise.

Yes Rudy, my helper, was here.  

When he was a pup I would had never left the wedge on the floor,

 would had been chewed :-)

Bob, with a pile of books to put away

Planes for power tools users

 YES, you can still find them useful.  So much that you may never look back once you tried.

NO, you do not need the whole assortment available, me neither, but a few tools can make all the differences in your work precision.

As a minimum I would say 3

A jack, with a spare blade assembly, a router plane and a rabbet or shoulder plane

Lets have a closer look

Jack plane

When you work with hand tools, you would use three bench planes, The Jack, the Jointer and finally the Smoother, to take a board from rough to finish surface.  The three Amigos

The three Amigos in questions.

Top Metal planes No 7 jointer, No 5 Jack, No 4 Smoother

Below, the same ones in wood

Since we are not flattening board by hands but just mostly trimming them, the lonely Jack can do it all with one spare blade assembly.

Get your hands on a good old Stanley No 5 Jack plane or its numerous clones  There are everywhere in yard sales, flea markets, Kijiji etc.  Don't worry about rust, unless severely pitted will come out plenty good to be a good worker.  Price?  Expect to pay anywhere from $5 to $25 for what would become a good worker after some work. Nothing too seriously wrong with them.  Worth all the trousers ruined with the WD-40 and rust stains :-)

The original blade set on the left has a 8 inch radius.

Its replacement set is a new Veritas blade and cap iron match set.

Wrong size shown, but you get the idea.

The No 4 and 5 use the same size blade BTW

Why two blades?  One shaped with a curvature of about 8 inch radius, act like a scrub plane to quickly remove material to flatten boards which are too wide for the jointer and the spare blade keep straight with the corners slightly relieved, act like a smoother and a jointer.  One plane does the work of three.

Why getting a premium spare blade set?  Because if nothing else, it will transform your tool into a real good one, and show you what to expect from a properly sharpen and set up blade.  Worth every penny.

But you don't have to go this way, you can get New Old Stock blade (look at Bargain Harley's in Berwick) or just a new spare cutter from a hardware store.  Just don't expect them to work as good as the premium stuff.  Not without some fettling anyway.

It size and mass also makes it a very good plane to use on a shooting board.

A cleat hold the shooting board while pushing the tool into the work

The top layer elevate your work piece and create a channel for the plane to ride on

This ensure that the exposed blade portion cover the whole piece.

The work piece is simply pushed against the fence, 90 degrees to the plane path

 

Yes, the shooting board is a must accessory with your plane.  A very simple jig to make, with it, you can easily trim the ends or face of a board exactly square and true. 

Pulling end grain shavings on the end of  Spalted  Curly maple

A favorite of mine in my shooting board is the Low Angle Jack from Veritas 

I added a sunken T-Nut to attach accessories on mine.  

Mostly for mitering angles

You can easily and effortlessly shaves off a few thou's of wood repeatedly, safely.

Impossible with any power tools. The closest would be a disk sander, but not as precise and harder on the fingers :-)

 I will show you how to build and use it. If you have a plane, you need one.

 

Router plane

If you do any kind of joinery involving Dados, Rabbets, Tenons, or want to clean up to a level surface a recess opening.  You need a router plane. 

Think your dadoes are coming off clean off the table saw?  NOPE, take a look at the bottom surface.

Think it does not matter?  It will prevent your pieces from fully seating, causing distortions. 

It is probably filled with small ridges left over from dadoes blades and spacers.  The depth is a bit uneven by inconsistent down pressure when your piece was passing over the dado head while cutting.  Yes, you can minimized that by using feather boards, but it may still be uneven. Not to mention if there was any curvature in your workpiece, it is not going to cut evenly.

Using a router table (as in electric screaming router) will produce the same inconsistencies in depth.  Minimized with feather boards, almost taking care of when using a power feeder.  But there is an easier way...

The Stanley No 71 Router plane 

The router plane riding on the surrounding top surface ensure an even bottom cut.  Need a wider base for your router?  Notice the 2 holes in the bottom?  That is to attach a wood piece of whatever length you need to bridge the opening.

They comes in three sizes Small, Medium and Large.

Stanley and others only made two sizes: The large one No 71 and the small one No 271

Stanley, smallest, the No 271

Veritas introduced a newer size in between (medium), 

and a very small size, shown, 

which is still a real working tool.

The largest (No 71) is your most used.  It in turn comes with three cutters: Square across (in two width) and a spear point cutter.  Shown on my LV router pic above.

I used practically all the time, my spear point cutter.  Goes in everywhere, can attack the grain at various angles.

Note that the large Veritas one can use the older Stanley No 71 cutters and vice versa.  So If you find an old one with missing cutters, you can buy new ones at LV.

The rabbet plane or the shoulder plane.

Both may look similar, blade extending on both side of sole, unlike your typical bench plane, both they are different animals.

The shoulder plane (below) has a lower bed angle , because it is designed to cut end grain.  

As in the shoulder of a tenon.  The rabbet plane (above) has a higher angle, more like 45 degrees like other bench planes, it is designed to cut rabbets on the side of a board.

I used them interchangeably in this example, because either could do the other's job, albeit not as good, due to the different bed angle.

Why would you need one?  Again for quick clean up of your power tool joinery, or even to cut the rabbets quicker than it will take you to set up the dado head, make your cuts then take it all out again for storage.  And you may still need clean up the joinery. So yeah, it's handy to have.

These three types are what you are looking for.  

Pick one.

From L-R Veritas shoulder plane, Stanley No 78 Duplex Fillester, 

Wooden skew rabbet plane

If going for a rabbet plane, one very versatile model is the Stanley No 78 Duplex, Fillester plane

Shown complete with its usual missing pieces.

The rod, the fence and the depth stop.

It is a Bullnose plane or a Rabbet plane (Duplex) and a Fillester plane (with the fence)

Notice the two rectangular raised pads on top of the fence?

It is to ensure that the fence can pass under the blade.

That ability to pass the fence under makes it a Fillester plane.

As set, it would cut a rabbet a set distance (width) from the edge.

To be considered complete, it should come with the fence and the depth stop.  There is only one blade with it.  You either use it up front (bull nose ) or in the back as a rabbet plane.  

Its weakest point is how the fence attach to the single rod, with a thumb screw.  

NO matter how hard you cinch it (Please do not use a pair of pliers) that damn fence will droop, meaning it is now a smidgen loose.  Just think of the fence and the depth stops as "suggesters" rather than definite stops.  Don't be a Cro-Magnon and everything will be fine, watch your layout lines and stop before you blow by them.

Expect to pay about $50 and up, depending on condition and if complete.. Buying missing parts will cost you as much as you pay for the tool, no real bargain.  The depth "suggester" you can easily do without.  The fence, I rarely use, so ...

The Record No 778 is an improved version of this plane, using two rods for the fence.  Depth stop remains a depth suggester (as in most planes BTW) rather than a stop, but the fence problem is fixed.

A new more precise metal plane would be a premium skew rabbet plane from Veritas 

If going for a wooden Rabbet plane, get a skew version, it will handle straight grain and end grain better.  Prices about $15-30 range used.  Depend on name, condition etc.

(L) A wooden skew rabbet plane

(R) Veritas large shoulder plane, 1-1/4 in wide

If going for a Shoulder plane get the largest you an afford, I.E. at least 3/4 inch and above

If buying new, cannot say enough good things for the Veritas shoulder planes, 

OR, since we already have our trusty 1/2 in chisel, sharp and ready to go, why not transform it into a rabbet plane?

Don't panic, nothing complicated  Watch how it is done...using saw and chisels...  Which you should have by now.

Rehabbing and using antiques wooden rabbet planes?  Watch this 

If you been following along your tool kit should now looks something like this.

Notice they  seems to repeats in three's.

Only 2 saws? Yes because I removed a rip saw. 

Normally a dovetail saw would be added (rip).

But this is mostly geared for power tools users. they used another kind of router for dovetails :-)

And we are almost done.  Next we will add a few essential marking and measuring tools, and then you are all set.

Yes, you will find most of these tools at the Wood Hobby shop, but you are better off having your own.  They will be always available to you, sharper, and you will avoid measurements errors by using the same tool throughout your project.

Not a big kit to carry around and maximize your shop time. 

Bob, the tools peddler 

Why were the backs of the cap iron originally treated

First a quick recap.
I mentioned a few times that the back on some of my cap irons looked like they had originally some sort of coatings on them.  Black on the older English irons then some sort of blue on Stanley cap irons until roughly Type 12, which saw the introduction of the high knob.
I have no idea what that coating was or is, let alone if it is an additional coating or the results of the thermal treatment of the blade thru its manufacture.  After all you can buy steel today to make handsaw which still has a blueish coating on one side, for the user to remove, via abrasion.

My thinking was, this extra step was to mitigate rust formation between both metal plates (irons), but then they stopped that practice around the great depression 1929-30s.
Extra costly step??

So one of my reader, Steve and I have been discussing back and forth trying to solve that mystery.
I am of the opinion it must be a coating, he is more incline to think its a result of the manufacturing steps (EG heat treatment).

Here are the two blades I picked., both Stanley.

You can definitively see the remnants of something blueish.

But what is it??.

It really spike my curiosity, so in a  effort to see if we could narrow it down or establish what it probably is, I took out my USB microscope and had a closer look.

My elaborate and scientific method of doing stuff.

In this pic, I am looking at the dressed edge of the cap iron

There are many version of this microscope, resolution, both in optics and chip size etc.
But you can buy a cheap one like mine for about $30 delivered to your door straight from China (just do a quick google search).  AMscope, call them kids microscope simply because they can also sell you much higher quality and prices.  But don't let the low price fool you, they can be very handy for taking a closer look at practically anything.  I use it when sharpening to inspect problem edges.

.

Mine is like the one on the left.

Its only drawback is the very finicky focusing,

the stand being flimsy.

You have to hold your breath when taking the pic :-)

What do you want for $20? 

So have a look at what I found.
If anyone can help us identify it, please leave a comment.
First up, the infamous Blueish coating from Stanley

Near the top of the cap iron

Where the cap iron meet the blade.

Often the inside of the curvature is clear steel (bright).

but this one definitively shows signs of it till the edge

Then lets look at the plain steel one on a more modern Stanley Type.

The edge that meet the iron.

Can you see shavings jamming in there? Yes

Around the big hole to clear screw that tighten every thing together on the frog.

You can clearly see evidences of stamping to cut the hole

The inside threads cut into the cap iron to attach the cutting iron

 And again here they are together with and without the flash.

No flash

Flash on

The top sides.

Flash on

I moved them around in an effort to show the change in curvature at the edge.

The oldest one (blue) has a more pronounced curvature and hump.

The newer one is mostly bent at the edge

Finally lets look at the English black coated ones
Hummm on closer look, they sure look very similar to the blueish Stanley...

The blades in question

AUBURN TOOLS CO

THISTLE
TRADE MARK

WARRANTED

English maker?  It got a 

I SORBY

SHEFFIELD cap iron

The back no flash

The back with the flash on

To give you an idea of the magnification I'm using,

this is what the smooth grey looks like on my paper

Near the start of the curvature on the cap iron.

looks a lot like Stanley

The inside threads cut on the brass nut

How the brass nut is swaged (tight compressed fit)

Near the top of the cap iron

The brass nut seen from the other side, the show side

Next one up

THOMAS TURNER

WARRANTED
CAST STEEL

The back flash on

Yes we have pockets of rust. 

Barely visible to the naked eye

See how the scratch lines seems to skip?

It is because you are looking at a crater of a pitted area.

Strangely this rust is only attached to the blue coating??

It sacrificed itself to protect the steel?? :-)

The show side of the bras nut

Finally lets have a quick look at one of my prior working edge blade, Hint the Thomas Turner

In its defence that edge has been thru the wire wheel

The bevel side

The back side.

I had to turn down the LEDs illumination it was too white out (shiny)

Yap, nicks

The back side.

Notice the hollow in the back, near the edge

Hard to see the bevel.

Notice the remnants of an hollow edge

The other blade Thistle, has not been sharpened yet

One thing I did not looked at is how a blued edge from heat  or a gun bluing treatment would look like under the microscope, having none of the above.  If you do have access to those and one of those microscope, would love to see how it looks abraded

And just because, lets have a look at some wood.
Can you identify the species?

OK there you go.
If that did not convinced you how useful this "kid" toys is, I gave it my best shot :-)
Seriously, it is a very handy tool to have. Oh and the kids and grand kids can have fun with it too.
There are of course versions who plug directly in your phone (IOS and Android), making them more portable.  Mine is attached to my PC via USB.

Bob, the grand kid at heart.  Never cease to explore your world.