Millers Falls
Millers Falls No. 9 Bench Plane
The standard Millers Falls smoother and the plane the brand is judged on. Same job as a Stanley No. 4, same quality of casting, routinely half the price because the name on the lever cap is the wrong one.
- 1929–1975
- Bench Plane
- medium confidence
| Model | No. 9 |
|---|---|
| Production | 1929–1975 |
| Sole length | 9" |
| Cutter width | 2" |
| Body | cast iron, japanned, frog often painted red |
| Handles | hardwood knob and tote |
How to identify it
- 9 inch sole, 2 inch iron. The most common Millers Falls bench plane by a wide margin.
- The model number is the sole length in inches - measure it and you have the number, with no reference table required.
- 'MILLERS FALLS' cast or stamped on the body or lever cap, with either Millers Falls or Greenfield, Massachusetts named.
- A red-painted frog is original on many examples and should be left alone.
Buying and using
Millers Falls bench planes are the value buy in vintage American planes. The castings and machining are comparable to Stanley's for the same period, and the price is not, because collector demand follows the Stanley name. Buy on condition and ignore the badge.
The same size from other makers
These do the same job at the same size. Parts do not interchange between makers, but the shaving does not know the difference - and where one maker commands a collector premium, another usually does not.
| Maker | Called | Made |
|---|---|---|
| Record | No. 04 | 1931–present |
| Sargent | No. 409 | 1887–1964 |
| Stanley | No. 4 | 1869–1984 |
| Stanley | No. 604 | 1898–1943 |
| Stanley | No. 112 | 1885–1943 |
What it is worth
- user / incomplete $11–$23
- complete, honest wear $25–$50
- excellent, original iron $54–$99
Sources
- reference-site
Patrick Leach's Blood & Gore (Stanley plane model-by-model commentary) — Patrick Leach - book
Dictionary of American Hand Tools — Alvin Sellens
Others in this family
-
Millers Falls No. 7 Bench Plane
The smallest Millers Falls bench plane, answering the Stanley No. 2.
-
Millers Falls No. 8 Bench Plane
An eight-inch smoother, one size below the standard.
-
Millers Falls No. 10 Bench Plane
A wide, heavy smoother in the mould of the Stanley 4-1/2.
-
Millers Falls No. 11 Bench Plane
A short, narrow jack in the manual-training mould, corresponding roughly to the Stanley 5-1/4.
-
Millers Falls No. 14 Bench Plane
The Millers Falls jack, and the plane to buy first. Fourteen inches of sole does most of the work in a hand-tool shop, and this is the cheapest good one on the market.
-
Millers Falls No. 15 Bench Plane
A wide jack, matching the Stanley 5-1/2.
-
Millers Falls No. 18 Bench Plane
The fore plane size.
-
Millers Falls No. 22 Bench Plane
The Millers Falls jointer.