Stanley

Stanley No. 103 Block Plane

A No. 102 with a depth adjuster added behind the iron. Same 5-1/2 inch body, same 1-3/8 inch iron, one useful extra control - and the reason it usually sells for a few dollars more than its plainer twin.

1877–1962
Block Plane
medium confidence

Specifications
Model	No. 103
Production	1877–1962
Sole length	5-1/2"
Cutter width	1-3/8"
Mouth	fixed
Body	cast iron, japanned

How to identify it

5-1/2 inch body with a screw depth adjustment behind the iron.
If there is no adjuster at all, the plane is a No. 102, not a 103.
Fixed mouth - neither the 102 nor the 103 has an adjustable toe piece.

Photograph needed: Stanley No. 103 Block Plane - overall view, plus a close-up of the toe and bed markings

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

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
Stanley	No. 1	1867–1943
Stanley	No. 102	1877–1962
Stanley	No. 92	1898–1970

Every size, every maker

What it is worth

user / incomplete $8–$16
complete, honest wear $18–$38
excellent, early $40–$85

Estimated USD range as of 2026-Q1, from a sample of about 90 sales. manually filtered sold listings Confidence: medium.

These are researched estimates for a private sale in average light, not an appraisal. Condition, completeness and type move a price further than any of these bands do.

Sources

reference-site
Patrick Leach's Blood & Gore (Stanley plane model-by-model commentary) — Patrick Leach
book
Stanley Tools: Guide to Identity and Value — John Walter

Others in this family

Stanley No. 9 Cabinetmaker's Block Plane

1870–1943 · 10" · 2"

A big, heavy block plane made for shooting mitres and trimming end grain on cabinet work.
Stanley No. 9-1/2 Block Plane

1873–2000 · 6" · 1-5/8"

The standard-angle block plane, and the pattern every other manufacturer copied.
Stanley No. 15 Block Plane

1876–1955 · 7" · 1-5/8"

A No. 9-1/2 stretched by an inch.
Stanley No. 18 Knuckle-Joint Block Plane

1888–1950 · 6" · 1-5/8"

A 9-1/2 with the knuckle-joint lever cap: a hinged nickel-plated cap that folds flat into the palm.
Stanley No. 19 Knuckle-Joint Block Plane

1888–1950 · 7" · 1-5/8"

The seven-inch knuckle-cap block plane: a No. 15 with the folding cap, or a No. 18 with an extra inch, depending which way you come at it.
Stanley No. 60 Low Angle Block Plane

1898–1950 · 6" · 1-3/8" · draft

The fixed-mouth sibling of the 60-1/2: same low bed angle, same iron, no adjustable toe piece.
Stanley No. 60-1/2 Low Angle Block Plane

1898–2000 · 6" · 1-3/8"

The low-angle block plane, and probably the single most useful vintage Stanley you can buy for under fifty dollars.
Stanley No. 61 Low Angle Block Plane

1914–1935 · 6" · 1-3/8" · draft

A short-lived low-angle block plane in the 60 series.