Top 20+ Antique Woodworking Tools That Are Worth Big Bucks

Nicholson Molding Plane

Francis Nicholson is America's first documented planemaker. It's believed he was the first planemaker to imprint his name on the tools he created. Nicholson lived from 1683-1753 and this wooden plane he designed and built sold for $5,140 at auction.

Carpenter Patent Plow Plane

Emanuel W. Carpenter of Lancaster, Pennsylvania became adept at creating innovative tools and his plow plane has become a coveted item. It sold for $17,600 at auction. It's a unique tool because it has a handle in the back.

Hovey Family Tool Chest

This tool chest is a bit of a history lesson, too. It belonged to the Hovey family and contained not only the patriarch's tools but also the family's history. The tool chest dates back to the 19th century and traveled with the family from New Hampshire to Ohio. It sold for $14,950 at auction.

Ohio No. 1 C Smoothing Plane

Few plane makers made a No. 1 plane because of its small size — it's only 5 1/2-inches long. Ohio Tool was the only company to come up with a corrugated sole in the No. 1 size and there are believed to only be one or two of these planes left. If any of these items are sitting in your attic, you could be sitting on a goldmine.

Engraved Victorian Calipers

This set of calipers from the Victorian era caught $4,510 at auction because of the superior condition they came in.

Patent Gold-Plated Ivory Handle Presentation Wrench

This wrench is thought to be a gift to Chauncey Depew, an attorney for Cornelius Vanderbilt's railroad interests who later became president of the New York Central Railroad System and a U.S. Senator. It's a gold-plated, ivory-handled wrench with one standout feature.  The engraver misspelled Depew's name on it. It fetched $5,980 at auction.

Chaplin Patent Plane

A Chaplin No. 1 plane is a rare item and considered one of the planes every collector wants, Donnelly said. This one went for $7,700.

Vertical Post Plane

Leonard Bailey patented several planes before Stanley finally bought him out after a series of patent fights. We still use his designed today. His was one of the first to build metallic planes and this plane sold for $7,920.

Leonard Bailey Patent Bronze Scraper

This bronze scraper is thought to be the only one of its kind, again made by Leonard Bailey, Donnelly said. It sold for $32,200 and is believed to have been created during Bailey's early development.

Broom Vise

This broom vise sold at a 2008 auction for $275. Not a bad haul for something that was probably just sitting around an old barn.

Rodier's Patent Models and Drafting Set

In the world of antique tool collecting, this drafting set and patent model of Louis C. Rodier holds the world record price for a tool. It sold for $91,000 at auction in 2004. The previous record for a tool was just $30,000 at the time.

Because it belonged to Rodier himself, the set's inventor, this item unique is unique . The tool is unique because of its design and high level of "gizmosity," according to auctioneer Martin J. Donnelly.