Stanley No. 1 Plane: Size, Years, Types & Value

ReferenceStanley No. 1 specification

Specification plate

Kind: Smoothing plane
Length: 5½ in.
Iron width: 1¼ in.
Weight: 1⅛ lb
Catalogued: 1869–1943
Corrugated (C): None. Leach calls the 1C “fictitious”: never buy a corrugated No. 1.
Half sizes: None
Bed Rock version: None. Stanley never made a 601 (Leach; Wikipedia).

Sizes, weights and catalogue years from Patrick Leach’s Blood & Gore.

UseWhat the No. 1 is for

So small that it is more a collector’s piece than a working tool. Popular Woodworking pictures it as a plane you could pull from your apron to trim a joint; Wood Review calls it basically unusable by most adults.

CollectingCollectors’ notes

Leach says collectors want it badly and it is the most valuable plane in the Bailey bench series.
There are too many surviving to be salesman’s samples or novelties (Leach).

DatingHow old is my Stanley No. 1?

Date it with the collectors’ type study: patent dates behind the frog, the lateral lever, the lever-cap logo and hole, the knob and the iron logo narrow it to a range of years. The study was written around the No. 4; other sizes follow it with minor differences. A Bed Rock version or an English-made plane needs other references.

Open the type finder

Before you buyWhat to check on a used No. 1

In-person checks

Look for cracksCheck the cheeks, the mouth and the area around the frog seat. A cracked casting is the most serious fault on any plane.It has been reproduced, and Leach says fakes “can fool the novice very easily”.On an original the adjuster rod is perfectly parallel to the sole; on fakes handplane.com says the rear adjuster screw tilts upward.Fakes have rougher castings on the body, frog and lever cap, badly shaped handles, and often an iron stamped on both sides (handplane.com).Reproduction totes are common (Leach).Match the partsIron, lever cap and frog should all be for this size and roughly the same type.

0 of 6 checked

ValueWhat is a Stanley No. 1 worth?

Leach gives no figures, only that the cost is “rather steep”. In March 2006 handplane.com listed eBay prices of $1,200–$1,800 and counterfeits at $150–$300. Those figures are 20 years old: check current sold prices below.

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

How long is a Stanley No. 1 plane?

5½ in., with a 1¼ in. iron, weighing about 1⅛ lb (Leach).

When was the Stanley No. 1 made?

Stanley catalogued it from 1869 to 1943. To date your plane, use the type finder.

Is there a corrugated No. 1C?

None. Leach calls the 1C “fictitious”: never buy a corrugated No. 1.

Is there a Bed Rock version of the No. 1?

None. Stanley never made a 601 (Leach; Wikipedia).

ReferencesSources

Patrick Leach asks that Blood & Gore be credited by name. Where sources disagree we show both. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Last reviewed October 2026

Keep exploring

Neighbouring sizes

1869–1961

Stanley No. 2

Smoothing plane

Length: 7 in.
Iron: 1⅝ in.
Weight: 2¼ lb

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Stanley No. 1 Smoothing Plane