Restorer's Collection Includes Around 200 Wooden Planes
Mihails Sivuhins, a restorer at the Kuldīga Restoration Centre, has spent over 20 years collecting antique tools, especially wooden planes. His collection now holds about 200 planes, which he uses in his work and preserves for future generations.
For more than two decades, Mihails Sivuhins, a restorer at the Kuldīga Restoration Centre, has been collecting old hand tools. His collection focuses primarily on wooden planes, with approximately 200 examples. Sivuhins started collecting planes because he works as a carpenter and restores historic doors and windows. In his work, he often needs specific tools, so they gradually accumulated.
The collection mainly consists of wooden planes and other woodworking tools, such as old saws and axes. It also includes spinning wheels, and the largest exhibit is a grain cleaning machine called “Imanta.” Not all planes are in working condition; some lack blades because people often remove the metal blades and sell them as scrap, damaging the tool. One plane is particularly large – 1 meter and 16 centimeters long. It had no blade, so Sivuhins made one and tested it; it can still be used for planing.
All items are stored in the restorer's outbuildings. Initially, he tried to display the planes on the wall, but space quickly ran out, so they are now kept in boxes and on shelves. Sivuhins frequently uses tools from his collection in his daily work – for example, while restoring old doors, a knife from his collection proved useful. He especially treasures a small plane inherited from his grandfather, as it holds historical and personal value.
People around him react differently to his hobby: some bring additions, while others question the need for so many tools. Nevertheless, Sivuhins emphasizes his love for antique tools and advises everyone to collect what interests them, as it preserves history for future generations. He hopes his daughter will keep the collection and not discard or burn it.
