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Offered here is a solid and attractive antique Spofford-pattern bit brace featuring a sturdy metal frame, rosewood palm pad, and rosewood center grip with two pewter retaining bands. Its distinctive construction strongly suggests manufacture by John S. Fray, although I haven’t been able to find a readable maker’s mark. This compact brace features the characteristic Spofford split-chuck arrangement, tightened by a broad side-mounted thumbscrew. (It is the original thumbscrew.) The chuck of course clamps around the tang of a brace bit. It is a straightforward, non-ratcheting design, with the frame itself serving as the crank.The rosewood is a particularly appealing feature. Both the rounded palm pad and the center grip have a rich, dark color and a smoothly worn surface developed through handling and use. The grip retains both pewter bands, which secure its two-piece construction and provide an attractive contrast to the wood. I haven’t cleaned the brace at all; I’m leaving that to the buyer’s discretion. CONDITIONThis is a solid, well-preserved old brace with age-appropriate cosmetic wear.• Both rosewood pieces are solid, with no apparent cracks or splits.
• The wood shows scattered scratches, small dents, and localized edge wear.
• Both pewter grip bands are present, with surface marks and minor dents.
• The metal frame retains extensive black finish, with scattered rubbing and wear. The originality of the finish has not been established.
• No obvious breaks or repairs are visible in the frame.
• The split chuck and its tightening thumbscrew are present.
• No bit is included (although I’ll be happy to provide a couple if the buyer has none). The brace measures approximately 10–10½ inches overall; please refer to the photographs with the tape measure. This is its overall length, not its sweep measurement.Overall, this is an appealing example of the Spofford pattern, with handsome rosewood fittings and the distinctive pewter-banded grip associated with Fray braces. It’s a worthwhile addition to an antique woodworking-tool collection or traditional hand-tool display.Please examine all photographs closely for the construction, finish, and condition of the actual brace offered. And thank you for Due to chronic illness, I am unfortunately being “forced” to sell my entire large collection of antique hand tools. Most items will be priced to sell rather quickly (hopefully!). I will be regularly posting new tools on a frequent basis (everything from hand planes—metal and wooden—to saws, spokeshaves, braces, bits galore, and many, MANY more. If you’ve been wanting or needing a certain tool, feel free to shoot me a quick message to see if I have one. Most questions are welcome. Just please understand I’m having to dig through three large storage units to find and post these tools. So the process of posting may (may not) be a little slow at the beginning. But rest assured, hundreds of “new” antique tools will be posted before too long. A relative few tools will be saleed off, but I intend to sell most items as Buy It Now! And remember: virtually ALL of my Buy It Now’s will ALWAYS have the option of OBO (or best offer). So don’t hesitate to shoot me an offer. Thanks for reading, and don’t hesitate to shoot a question my way. All my best, Russ
