Marcou Planes by John Manners

Fellow Ferrousoxidites,

Philip Marcou's planes as displayed on Wiktor's site are beautifully designed creations, being elegant whilst at the same time exhibiting mass, strength and fitness for work throughout. I look forward to reading Derek Cohen's report of his handling them and putting them through their paces.

There is perceived to be nothing to cavil at regarding the crossed-slot screw holding the knob on the end of the adjuster as its function appears to have been seriously considered by the maker as a means to minimize the marring with a conventional screw driver the knob which it retains . Unless the handle is first removed, the only safe and clear access to such screw would be with the use of a right angled screw driver which, with a conventional blade, would be less inclined to "home" correctly than would be the cross-tipped tool.

Nothing in the design and manufacture of the plane gives any indication of a cover up of its "private parts" and it is thought that its overall pleasing effect is obtained by exhibiting plainly, where possible, all of the elements of its necessary structure, thereby revealing that all have been very well executed. The unnecessary addition of a cover cap of any sort would detract, it is thought, from the frankness of the plane's structure and would spoil its integrity as it clearly is not a decorated plane (these are quite O.K. in their own sphere, it is acknowledged) but an extremely well designed and executed tool with its function, structure and the high quality of workmanship employed all absolutely apparent. This is not to say that the plane has not been executed in a decorative way. The design and finish of the knurled nuts, say, could have been plainer but, as they are, they represent a way of doing things consonant with and complementary to the design of the whole and are pointers to the viewer that well-considered design has been employed throughout.

The overall impression is that form follows function but that, as lines there must be, fair lines of deeply considered design have been employed with absolute consistency. With the high quality of design and workmanship which has gone into these planes, it is almost impossible to imagine that they will not perform as well as they look.