Stanley bench plane type study
Stanley Type 3 (1872–1873)
No lateral adjustment lever. Very short production window, correspondingly scarce.
- 1872–1873
- low confidence
Fastest way to spot one
- No lateral adjustment lever
- Very short production window, correspondingly scarce
Features in detail
| Lateral adjustment | Still none. high |
|---|
Notes
A one-year type. Distinguishing 3 from 2 and 4 requires the detailed published study and a known-good comparison plane.
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
- reference-site
Stanley Bench Plane Type Study (Types 1-20) — Patrick Leach
Models this type applies to
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Stanley No. 1 Smoothing Plane
The smallest bench plane Stanley made, and the one every collector wants.
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Stanley No. 2 Smoothing Plane
The smallest Bailey with a tote.
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Stanley No. 3 Smoothing Plane
A smoother one size down from the No. 4, and the size most people find comfortable once they have used both.
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Stanley No. 4 Smoothing Plane
The most-produced bench plane in history and the default smoother in every workshop that has one.
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Stanley No. 5 Jack Plane
The jack plane - the jack of all trades, and the plane most likely to be in a box at an estate sale.
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Stanley No. 6 Fore Plane
The fore plane sits between the jack and the jointer.
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Stanley No. 7 Jointer Plane
The standard jointer, and the plane that makes hand-cut edge joints possible.
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Stanley No. 8 Jointer Plane
The largest Bailey bench plane: two feet of sole and the widest iron in the range.