Vintage Stanley Planes: Identify, Date & Value Your Old Stanley

Step oneFind the size number

Stanley numbered its bench planes by length: the bigger the number, the bigger the plane, and other makers copied the system (Popular Woodworking). The number is cast into the bed, at the toe on most sizes and at the heel on the No. 5 and larger on early planes, and behind the knob on planes made from 1902. A “C” after the number means a corrugated sole; a half size like 4½ is a wider or longer variant.

ReferenceStanley Bailey bench plane sizes

Specifications and catalogue years from Patrick Leach’s Blood & Gore. Select a plane for its full guide.

Plane	Kind	Length	Iron	Weight	Made
No. 1	Smoothing plane	5½ in.	1¼ in.	1⅛ lb	1869–1943
No. 2	Smoothing plane	7 in.	1⅝ in.	2¼ lb	1869–1961
No. 3	Smoothing plane	8 in.	1¾ in.	3⅛ lb	1869–1984
No. 4	Smoothing plane	9 in.	2 in.	3¾ lb	1869–1984
No. 5	Jack plane	14 in.	2 in.	4¾ lb	1869–1984
No. 6	Fore plane	18 in.	2⅜ in.	7¾ lb	1869–1970
No. 7	Jointer plane	22 in.	2⅜ in.	8⅛ lb	1869–1970
No. 8	Jointer plane (heavy)	24 in.	2⅝ in.	9¾ lb	1869–1961

Step twoDate it with the type study

Collectors, not Stanley, worked out the “types”: 20 stages from 1867 to 1967, each marked by small changes to the castings and parts. Patent dates behind the frog, the lateral lever, the lever-cap logo and hole, the knob height and the iron logo usually narrow a plane to a few years.

Open the type finder

IdentifyBailey or Bed Rock?

Stanley sold two lines of bench planes. The Bailey line (Nos. 1–8) is by far the commoner. The Bed Rock line carries the same size plus 600 (No. 604 is a No. 4 size) and was catalogued from 1898 until the Second World War ended it (Leach).

The frog. A Bed Rock frog has a flat, fully machined base that seats on the bed along its whole length.
Frog screws. Later Bed Rocks have two frog-clamping screws either side of the adjusting screw (patented March 1911), so the frog moves without taking out the iron.
The sides. Early Bed Rocks have rounded side tops like a Bailey; later ones are flat-topped.
The lever cap reads BED ROCK on earlier examples, and just STANLEY from about 1925.

The Bailey type study doesn’t apply to Bed Rocks (woodandshop).

ErasEras collectors name

Patent-date planes

Types 9–14 (1902–30) carry patent dates cast behind the frog: two, then three, then one. The easiest dating clue on the plane.

Sweetheart

Irons with the heart-shaped “SW” logo, about 1920–35 (Types 12–15).

Wartime (Type 17)

1942–45: hardwood handles stained red or painted black, a steel or hard-rubber depth nut and little nickel plating.

English-made

Marked MADE IN ENGLAND. Stanley acquired the British Chapman company around 1937 (Wikipedia); collectors’ forums describe beech handles and hard-rubber nuts in wartime. The US type study doesn’t fit them.

OriginalitySwapped parts and “mongrels”

Irons, lever caps, frogs and depth nuts were often swapped between planes over a century of use. Stanley itself used up old parts at each design change, so a plane with one part from the next type along may well be original if the wear and patina match (hyperkitten). Several parts from different decades suggest a “mongrel” assembled later, which collectors value less.

ValueWhat is my Stanley plane worth?

Size, type, condition and originality decide it. A common No. 4 or No. 5 sells as a user tool; scarce sizes and early types are collected. The surest guide is what the same plane has actually sold for:

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

How do I tell what size my Stanley plane is?

Look for the number cast into the bed at the toe or heel, or behind the front knob on later planes; then measure the length and the width of the iron and compare them with our size table.

How old is my Stanley plane?

Use the collectors’ type study. Patent dates cast behind the frog, the lateral lever, the lever cap, the knob and the iron logo narrow it to a range of years. Our type finder does the matching for you.

What does “Bailey” mean on a Stanley plane?

Leonard Bailey designed the adjustable iron plane in Boston in the 1860s. Stanley bought his patents in 1869, and from 1902 cast BAILEY on the bodies as a tribute (Leach).

What is a Sweetheart Stanley?

A plane whose iron carries Stanley’s heart-shaped “SW” logo, used from about 1920 to 1935. Collectors value Sweetheart-era planes (Types 12–15).

Are old Stanley planes worth anything?

Common sizes like the No. 4 and No. 5 sell as user tools; scarce ones like the No. 1, No. 2 and some corrugated and Bed Rock versions are collected. Type, condition and originality decide price. Check sold prices for your size and type.

Does the type study work for Bed Rock or English planes?

No. It was written for the Bailey No. 4 in the USA. Bed Rocks and English-made Stanleys (marked MADE IN ENGLAND, from about 1937) need to be dated differently.