Bench&Brace

Stanley bench plane type study

Stanley Type 20 (1962–1967)

Kidney-shaped hole in the lever cap. Blue paint rather than japanning. Often plastic handles by the end of the run.

  • 1962–1967
  • high confidence

Fastest way to spot one

  • Kidney-shaped hole in the lever cap
  • Blue paint rather than japanning
  • Often plastic handles by the end of the run
Photograph needed: Stanley Type 20 - bed casting behind the frog, toe marking and knob
No image is published here until its rights are cleared. Sourcing policy.

Features in detail

Lever cap The hole becomes kidney-shaped. This is the most recognisable single feature in the study and the conventional end of the collectable era. high
Finish Painted rather than japanned. high
Handles Plastic handles appear in this period and after. medium

Notes

Collector interest falls off a cliff here, which makes a Type 20 the cheapest way to own a working Stanley. It is a perfectly good plane; it is simply not a collectable one.

Before you trust this

Type dates are approximate and adjacent types overlap. Stanley emptied parts bins before opening new ones, so a plane can legitimately carry features from two types at once. Date the body casting, treat the iron and hardware separately, and expect a window rather than a year.

Go back to the full type study, or read the dating marks table.

Sources

Models this type applies to