Maker: Thomas Norris
Original Price: $60-$70*
Worth Today: $12,250*

Fine Woodworking Magazine described this plane as the “Rolls Royce of hand planes.” Judging from the auction price, someone seemed to agree. The Norris Jointer Plane was designed by Thomas Norris, an English plane-maker known for working with exotic woods.

The rarity of these planes explains the price, as few of his planes made it through WWII. The ones that do remain are highly sought-after collectors’ items, both for their scarcity and utilitarian value. For those who expected “plane” to mean something with wings, it’s not—a jointer plane is used in woodworking to straighten board edges, a process called “jointing.”