Stanley bench plane type study

Stanley Type 7 (1893–1899)

Lateral lever with a twisted end. No 'BAILEY' on the toe yet.

1893–1899
medium confidence

Fastest way to spot one

Lateral lever with a twisted end
No 'BAILEY' on the toe yet

Photograph needed: Stanley Type 7 - bed casting behind the frog, toe marking and knob

No image is published here until its rights are cleared. Sourcing policy.

Features in detail

Lateral lever form	Twisted at the end, a change that persists afterwards. medium
Toe marking	No 'BAILEY' cast into the toe. high

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

Stanley No. 1 Smoothing Plane

1867–1943 · 5-1/2" · 1-1/4"

The smallest bench plane Stanley made, and the one every collector wants.
Stanley No. 2 Smoothing Plane

1869–1961 · 7" · 1-5/8"

The smallest Bailey with a tote.
Stanley No. 3 Smoothing Plane

1869–1984 · 8" · 1-3/4"

A smoother one size down from the No. 4, and the size most people find comfortable once they have used both.
Stanley No. 4 Smoothing Plane

1869–1984 · 9" · 2"

The most-produced bench plane in history and the default smoother in every workshop that has one.
Stanley No. 4-1/2 Smoothing Plane

1884–1967 · 10" · 2-3/8"

A wide, heavy smoother.
Stanley No. 5 Jack Plane

1869–1984 · 14" · 2"

The jack plane - the jack of all trades, and the plane most likely to be in a box at an estate sale.
Stanley No. 5-1/2 Jack Plane

1898–1970 · 15" · 2-1/4"

A wide, heavy jack.
Stanley No. 6 Fore Plane

1869–1975 · 18" · 2-3/8"

The fore plane sits between the jack and the jointer.
Stanley No. 7 Jointer Plane

1869–1984 · 22" · 2-3/8"

The standard jointer, and the plane that makes hand-cut edge joints possible.
Stanley No. 8 Jointer Plane

1869–1960 · 24" · 2-5/8"

The largest Bailey bench plane: two feet of sole and the widest iron in the range.
Stanley No. 40 Scrub Plane

1896–1962 · 9-1/2" · 1-1/4"

A dedicated roughing plane: narrow, thick, heavily cambered iron and a wide open mouth, made to take deep bites across the grain and reduce a board fast.
Stanley No. 602 Bedrock Smoothing Plane

1898–1943 · 7" · 1-5/8"

The smallest Bedrock, and after the No. 1 the most sought-after Stanley bench plane.
Stanley No. 603 Bedrock Smoothing Plane

1898–1943 · 8" · 1-3/4"

The Bedrock equivalent of the Bailey No. 3: an eight-inch smoother with the full-contact frog seat and the heavier castings of the premium line.
Stanley No. 604 Bedrock Smoothing Plane

1898–1943 · 9" · 2"

The Bedrock No. 4.
Stanley No. 604-1/2 Bedrock Smoothing Plane

1898–1943 · 10" · 2-3/8"

A wide, heavy Bedrock smoother - the 4-1/2 pattern in the premium line, and the plane to reach for on figured hardwood if money is no object.
Stanley No. 605 Bedrock Jack Plane

1898–1943 · 14" · 2"

The Bedrock jack, and the most-produced plane in the line after the 604.
Stanley No. 605-1/2 Bedrock Jack Plane

1898–1943 · 15" · 2-1/4"

The wide Bedrock jack: fifteen inches of sole, a wide iron and the full-contact frog seat.
Stanley No. 606 Bedrock Fore Plane

1898–1943 · 18" · 2-3/8"

The Bedrock fore plane.
Stanley No. 607 Bedrock Jointer Plane

1898–1943 · 22" · 2-3/8"

The Bedrock jointer: 22 inches of heavy casting with the full-contact frog.
Stanley No. 608 Bedrock Jointer Plane

1898–1943 · 24" · 2-5/8"

The biggest Bedrock: two feet of sole, the widest iron, and the heaviest bench plane Stanley catalogued.