Pay attention to the color of the plane. When the Stanley plane is painted blue, it is Type 15 to 20, and the plane is Type 20 and it dates from 1962 to 1967. Each type has features that distinguish it from the others, with parts and markings cast into the metal. The variation features are the aircraft number, patent numbers, or dates. Allow me to detail the steps to dating a Stanley plane. Steps for dating Stanley hand planes

Please get familiar with the names of the multiple parts of the tool using a Stanley diagram which I will summarise below. Look for the bed of the plane behind the frog. If you can see any patent dates cast into the bed, note how many are there.Also, by working with an old one and restoring it to glory you will learn a lot. Learning as much as you can about your tools will help with your woodworking and that’s a good thing. Plus you won’t be contributing to landfill by buying cheap tools that don’t last, something that’s becoming a huge problem worldwide. Stanley Type 7 (Stanley no 7 plane identification) Handplanes date from 893-1899. The number designation is spaced farther apart. Bailey’s name and patent dates are no longer on the brass adjustment nut and cap iron. If you do buy a 9" plane, it's seriously worth considering a low-angle plane (lower bedding angle, higher angle on the blade). Among other things, that gives you a wider range available if you need to grind blades to other angles when handling special cases. These do tend to be a bit more expensive, though, largely because this design is mostly offered by the higher-end manufacturers.

If you tell me that the Stanley planes of 40 years ago are better than the new ones today, I wouldn’t argue. If you try to tell me that these old Stanley planes are as good as the good planes of today then I’ll walk away – it’s not a proposition that is worth discussing. Is there any other physical difference that makes a No.4 more useful for smoothing, other than it's smaller size and weight making it easier to handle?Stanley Type 14 Handplanes date 1929-1930. It is from the USA and is now cast into the bed at the toe. A raised ring is cast into the bed to act as a receiver for the knob, and it prevents the splitting of the knob. The chances of splitting are high due to the raised ring and greater leverage capable of being placed on them than on the low knobs. After opening up the mouth I fitted the new iron into the plane and tried it out, it cut shavings ok. Stanley Type 12 Handplanes date 1919-1924. The knob is taller than the previous style. The taller knob is called a “high knob.” The brass depth adjustment nut is measured at 1.25″ in diameter, which is larger than the previous one. There are logo changes. As you measure the depth-adjustment nut, note if it is 1-1/4inch in diameter. That means it has three dates cast into the bed, and the plane is Type 12, dating between 1919 and 1924. If not, that means it is a Type 11 and dates 1910 and 1918. Look for the depth-adjustment nut, and you should be able to tell if it has a diagonal knurling pattern on the outside or not. If it has, the plane is Type 18 and dates between 1946 and 1947.

CLASSIC CHERRY WOOD HANDLES: Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use. The plane iron may also be ground slight differently in shape (as opposed to angle)... but yes, those are the largest differences. They do affect how the plane is used.

Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use. For other reasons, based on my knowledge and experience as a professional engineer, I bought the Veritas smoothing plane. It does all I want it to and does it well. If I had wanted to save money in the initial expenditure I would have bought the Luban plane. I would never buy the Stanley plane.

The lateral adjustment lever is now two-piece construction. It has a circular disk replacing the straight portion where it engages the slot in the iron. The brass adjusting nut has a left-hand thread. “7-24-88” is also stamped into the lever. If the word STANLEY is on the lateral adjustment lever in a vertical script, the plane Type is 19 and dated between 1949 and 1961. The blade across the width was totally flat down the length it was slightly concave but the smallest feeler gauge I had 0.003″would not go under the straight edge.The blade came with a sharp cutting edge Stanley Type 8 Handplanes date from 1899-1902. The “7-24-88” is the only patent date found on the lateral adjustment lever, and “STANLEY” is still there. The “S” casting marks are eliminated and replaced with “B.”Stanley Type 15 Handplanes date 1931-1932. They remove all patent info on the bottom casting. “BAILEY” is now cast behind the knob toward the rib, and the number is directly in front of the knob. Stanley Type 5 Handplanes dates 1885-1888. It has two patent dates, “2-8-76” and “10-21-84”, stamped with the word “STANLEY.” It has the same trademark stamped into the iron, except that “STANLEY” is in a straight line, in large letters. The lateral lever is one-piece construction and engages the slot straight across the iron. The frog top is no longer rounded but flattened into an arch shape. The rest of the logo is in small letters.