George Miller Shoulder Plane

I bought this Miller shoulder plane on E Bay recently, it's 8" long and 1 1/2" wide.

George Miller worked from 1890 to 1914 and specialised in these heavy gunmetal shoulder planes with a sweated on steel sole. Apart from his London address I can't find out any more information on him, is there anyone out there who knows any more detail? Are there any collectors of his planes?

The style of the bronze casting is beautiful and distinctive and didn't change during his working years, which is helpful as the majority of his planes weren't stamped. Fortunately this one was. Nearly all are 1 1/2" wide but I have seen 1 1/4" models with the identical profile.

The infill was always rounded nicely and had a curved front grip which is very comfortable to hold. Occasionally the infill extended beyond the metal and examples with a 'rhino horn' have also surfaced. The infill material seemed to vary, this one is walnut but most were ebony or rosewood. The shape of the wedge also varied quite a bit, this one isn't as attractive as some but is very supportive.

The irons are made by Marples on all the examples I have seen and the mouth is always nice and tight. If you ever comes across one of these they make great user planes as well as being very collectable.