Description

A very rare Ashem Crafts Stail‑Engine trapping plane, made in England and complete with its end rounder, an exceptional and seldom‑seen chairmaker’s tool developed from one of the most ingenious tapering systems in modern green‑woodworking.

The Stail‑Engine is essentially a modified trapping plane, designed as an ideal solution for cane and stick makers—especially those who need to taper sticks without a lathe or any means of rotating the wood. The tool securely cradles the workpiece and allows controlled, progressive tapering along its length, producing smooth, even results with remarkable accuracy.

This example includes the End Rounder, a highly useful companion tool. The end rounder is designed to produce a clean, pleasing radius on chair feet, stick ends, and upright chair parts. For best results, the timber should be rotated slowly, with the end running freely, while the piece is revolved in the brass cradle and worked gently against the blade to establish a small chamfer that develops into a smooth, rounded profile.

Ashem Crafts produced these tools in extremely limited numbers, each one carefully shaped, tuned, and finished. Their scarcity today reflects both their usefulness and their small‑batch origins—most were purchased by working chairmakers who kept them for life.

A beautifully made, highly functional, and extremely rare Ashem Crafts Stail‑Engine trapping plane with its end rounder—an outstanding addition for any serious chairmaker or collector of modern British craft tools.

Always free shipping from Michael Rouillard Tools.