Voice of the


John Collier – Chairman,


Monument Tools Ltd My introduction to tool collecting came about on the way to the office one morning in 1968. I spotted some old stuff outside a builder’s merchants and chose what I thought were 10 interesting items, some of which I recognised but one in particular left me wondering what it was. I showed it to an expert who immediately recognised it as being a very rare coachbuilders plough plane made in about 1796 and worth about £800. I was hooked! My grandfather Arthur collier collected tools for


many years and indeed had a showcase outside our retail shop in Brixton. After he died some of the collection was loaned to the Science


Museum , South Kensington and when they put it into storage it was returned to us and housed in my father’s house. Since then I have added quite a lot and enjoy going to auctions and associated table sales where the dealers know me and save items for me. Like any collecting it can become somewhat addictive so if you’re thinking of starting it be


warned. Mainly I like anything unusual but the collection includes engineers’ tools, Stanley USA , Edward Preston, 18th century moulding planes, coachbuilders’ tools and of course an archive of Monument tools. I also have the largest collection of early digital micrometers by Ciceri Smith.


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