Hand Plane help pictures

[jbowse2]

I have two #4 hand planes from an auction. One is stamped Metal products corp and the other is stamped lakeside special. Are these any good to use? Or am I better off putting them on the shelf and keep looking for a Stanley #4?
The small boy in the picture is my #1 helper.

EDIT the right plane is the metal products one and the left one is the lakeside special
[IMG]http://img109.exs.cx/img109/6497/b1vcloseup1thumb.jpg


sorry the pictures are so big. I wanted to show some detail, but man... I need to get better at resizing...LOL!

Thanks Jim
EDIT for missing info

[Limey]

The lower one in the picture with the darker knob looks to have a heavier cast body and would be my tip as the better plane.
Both have all the standard operating features and as such should be capable of being "users" with a little fettling.
Walt Quadrato may see this and be able to give you more information...he knows as much as anyone about Connecticut manufacturers so the one made in CT is bound to be on his knowledge list.

Limey

[CT yankee]

It's all in the lateral lever...can't see too clearly but...
There are two schools of thought on Lakeside...one: that it was an imprint tool label for montgomery wards(probably much later then the next listing)...maybe...another is that it was Lakeside Tool & Saw Co in Chicago, IL and suspect that they
manufactured saws (hand-saws) and tools from 1909-1919. The picture certainly indicates an earlier tool..decent enough users when tuned..probably made by Sargent if the lateral is folded into a "V" or "U" shape..if it's a straight bend over it may be an Ohio ...if it's twisted..probably a Union...that's the rule of thumb for laterals
The metal products one from West haven appears to be an earlier model..later on they made a stamped steel frog that's worthless..with a pressed steel yoke..altogether unsatisfactory..yours seems to be the earlier type model before they changed the design..can't tell so much from the pic....as with the lakeside they were supposed to have made their own tools but I think a lot was jobbed out to the major players. That's why you get the lateral type study. yours looks to be folded V or U...Sargent made in....guess...west haven also...
there is no good book on plane production in Connecticut..and there's such a wealth of material...Sargent, Union, stanley, metal products, derby, shelton, birmingham...to name but a few...

Give me some more shots of the laterals and the frogs and I may be able to narrow it down more...

walt Q(who really doesn't spend all his time with the planes..but has a good memory for design):)
it's not the tool, so much as the hand that guides it....
http://pages.cthome.net/bcrgraphics/toolindex.html