N Potter

N Potter Summary of Planes

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• Molding plane lengths 10 3/8” to 10 7/16” seen in late 17th century / 1st quarter 18th century English molding planes and their Colonial counterparts. As the mid-18th C is approached, the planes typically shorten to 10”.

• N Potter chamfer stops on the ends of the molding planes have a coping detail on the ends of the shoulders, similar to two of the earliest English makers; Gilgrest and Hemings. This appears to be the strongest link between N Potter and the earliest English makers at this time. This detail was picked up by Jonathan Tower of Rutland, MA perhaps through Nathaniel Potter Jr. of Leicester, MA and / or Elijah Demond of Rutland, both joiners working in the mid 1750’s to the mid 1760’s. Demond had strong ties to the Nathaniel Potter Jr., John his brother (also a joiner) and Rebecca their sister. A single 10.5" long birch molding plane marked, S Perkins, also has similar shoulder / chamfer stop details. A possible candidate, Solomon Perkins 1712-1743 of Bridgewater, MA roughly fits the dates of Potter, Gilcrest and Hemings.

• N Potter molding plane wedges (four planes Mike Humphrey) are rather different from either their English or most of their Colonial counterparts with their relatively large finials. F Nicholson and I Walton, for example, have finials which are small and rounded, but the cutouts under the finials are similar to Potter.  The S Perkins wedge while not identical, is close to the four N Potter molders in shape and size.

• In general early English panel planes are short (8 to 9”) and not toted, unlike the Colonial examples which are similar in size to jack planes. N Potter and F Nicholson follow (helped establish??) the “Colonial” style.

• Based on a very limited number of examples, early English planes with a bench plane escapement construction, have wedge abutment cheek chamfers that start as narrow flats at the front of the cheeks and then taper out as the wedges are approached … not unlike the planes by later 18th C makers such as Little or Sleeper. (Sleeper and Little also follow English plow trends.)  N Potter planes,  on the other hand, trend towards a simple, narrow flat chamfer running the full length of each cheek similar to I Walton and mid period Jo Fuller / In / Providence planes.

• N Potter totes are rather unique in style, unlike the one early English bench / crown molder plane that is known. (Robert Wooding).

• A N Potter plow plane has rounded tops of the arms and arms which are not inset into the fence, following the English tradition. However, the Potter plow plane is long (10 1/16") and thus dissimilar to the early English plow planes. This longer length follows the tradition of most New England / Colonial “Yankee” plows. In addition, the design of the arms, the design of the fence and the fence moldings of the Potter plow is very close to those found on I Walton (1710-1785) and B Walton (1751-1824) plows. (An unmarked plow plane has surfaced which bears nearly identical construction details.)

• N Potter planes are marked low on the toe unlike most of the other Colonial craftsmen with the exception of S Perkins who also follows this style.

• English planes were almost entirely made of beech while Colonial planes were typically made of birch.

• Two generations of Potter’s, Richard and John – both carpenters, were established in Salem and Lynn, MA by the years ca 1650 and ca 1685 respectively. It is believed that Richard born in England before 1630, immigrated to the Colonies by ca 1650…. having learned his trade in England. Thus Nathaniel Sr. would have learned his joiners craft under their tutelage … following some of the English design traits while on balance, following Colonial design adaptations developed and / or being developed from the original English designs/traditions.

• Nathaniel Sr’s inventory of 1768 is extremely important as it contains a detailed record of his carpentry / jointer tools. The planes are particularly of interest with 3 long planes, 3 fore planes, 3 smoothing planes, a plow plane, 69 planes and 9 new planes. The entry of 9 new planes is the most significant entry as it indicates that Nathaniel Sr. was still relatively active in his trade and suggests that he was making planes commercially. (This is supported by the plane iron entry.)

• Nathaniel Jr. may or may not have made some of the N Potter planes (and /or the unmarked N Potter molders), but almost certainly followed in his father’s, grandfather's and great-grandfather’s footsteps. Nathaniel Jr’s trade as a joiner / shop joiner is new information. Without a probate inventory, previous researchers did not count him as a possible plane maker.

(N Potter plane photos and specifics courtesy of Mike Humphrey and Richard Rosenblatt.)

(Early English molding plane information and photos courtesy of Anne Wing.)

(Early English bench escapement and tote information and photo courtesy of Richard Arnold and Bob Collington / Rhykenology Group on Facebook.)

(S Perkins plane photos and specifics courtesy of Tom Whalen.)