This guy https://www.facebook.com/warnermachinery/ reconditions and sells used industrial wood- and metal-working machines. Fascinating to see some of the tools he's restored.
I've stumbled on that guy and other similar people in many google searches. I think there's a privileged spot reserved in the afterlife for those guys.
There are a lot of old machine designs that weren't commercially successful, but are absolutely still relevant and useful. See my other comment about Powermatic 2A tenoners. If I had my pick of a shop wherever I lived, I would always have no less than two of those machines, even though Powermatic stopped making them years ago.
For another example, check out blogs and videos of window and door making machines from the late 1800s. Anyone who has ever built a wooden window can explain precisely why they are the most complex things in any building with wooden parts. Those machines from over 120 years ago were far superior to anything purpose built for window making today.
There are a lot of old machine designs that weren't commercially successful, but are absolutely still relevant and useful. See my other comment about Powermatic 2A tenoners. If I had my pick of a shop wherever I lived, I would always have no less than two of those machines, even though Powermatic stopped making them years ago.
For another example, check out blogs and videos of window and door making machines from the late 1800s. Anyone who has ever built a wooden window can explain precisely why they are the most complex things in any building with wooden parts. Those machines from over 120 years ago were far superior to anything purpose built for window making today.