This is an unusual brace which looks like a “Sheffield” brace with a chest pad and a revolving ball for a wrist grip. When I first saw it, I was struck by the beauty of the wood and the silver metal fittings. It was in an auction held by a prominent dealer and although I bid what I felt was a sufficient amount, I was not the successful bidder. What a surprise it was when a few months later, I saw it at a vendor’s table during another auction preview’s tailgating session.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
The new owner of the brace, Stephen Sedor, a well know collector of leveling tools, shared how he also found the brace to be of exquisite beauty and shared the store behind the brace with me.
The brace had at one time belonged to Herb Kean, a profound author and brace collector. Herb is also a good friend and was the inspiration for my fascination with collecting braces. It turns out that Herb had purchased the brace and shared the story of the brace in an article published in the “The Tool Shed,” a publication of CRAFTS of New Jersey, in issue number 133 published in September of 2004.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
It turns out that the brace was made by a fantastic craftsman who built yachts in his boat shop in Jamaica Bay, N.Y. and of course before the advent of battery powered tools that are commonly used today.
The last yacht that he built was a 49 foot masterpiece that he and his wife had planned to use to sail around the world. But fate cut his dream short, as he only made a few short runs before his untimely death. The building of the yacht took seven years from the day the keel was laid until the yacht
was launched. The yacht was made from greenheart, a wood that is imported from Brazil and it is exceptionally hard and highly dense. The wood would have needed holes drilled into it prior to any screwing or nailing.
The metal parts of the brace look like German silver but as Herb points out in his article, it must have been an alloy since the metal is slightly magnetic while German silver is not. The alloy must contain a fair amount of nickel as nickel is slightly magnetic unlike iron which is very magnetic. The alloy may have been the yacht builder’s “shipyard alloy.” Herb also discovered that the yacht builder had his own foundry and machine shop but imagine the work that was involved in making the intricate pieces. At the nose of the chuck is a very tiny “jeweler’s” knurl which I have never seen an example of one this small on any braces during my collecting.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
Also, there is a diagonal rope knurl in the neck of the head spindle that adds so much to the elegance of the head assembly.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
The wooden pieces of the brace is truly what sets this brace apart from most braces. First, the body is a mottled figure pear wood which is so stunning. The yacht builder liked to mix-and-match the interior wood trim in the yachts that he would build so it is not a surprise that he did likewise with this brace. The wrist ball is cherry, and the head is apple wood and complement each other very well.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
But the “lips” on both ends of the chest pad which required a lot of extra carving to accomplish this decorative feature shows one of the “extras” he added to make this brace more than just a means to drill holes.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
To me, this is a brace that speaks of true craftsmanship and the pride of making a tool to be used yet a tool that also shows pride in what the craftsman does and is an example of their skills. I fear that most of that pride and craftsmanship in a craftsman’s tools is gone in our modern age of electric tools and a throwaway society.
To end this post, after hearing the story behind the brace and knowing that it belonged to Herb Kean, a dear friend, and after some discussions with Steve, I decided to purchase the brace to add to my collection. This is one of the most elegant and well made braces that I have in my collection and appreciate the opportunity to own such a masterpiece.
Photo by Stephen Sedor & edited by Author
Note: Please read Herb’s article on this brace as he gives further details on how it is constructed.
I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship Exodus 31:3
