Stanley No. 140 Skew Block Plane

How to identify it

• The detachable side plate is the identifying feature - two screws hold it on, and it is the part that goes missing.
• The iron is set at a skew, which is visible at a glance.
• 8 inch body, 1-3/4 inch iron.

Photograph needed: Stanley No. 140 Skew Block Plane - overall view, plus a close-up of the toe and bed markings

Buying and using

A 140 missing its side plate is worth a third of a complete one, and replacements are effectively unobtainable. Confirm the plate is present and the screws are not seized before buying.

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.

Every size, every maker

What it is worth

• missing side plate $80–$160
• complete, honest wear $250–$500
• excellent, pre-war $550–$1,100

Estimated USD range as of 2026-Q1, from a sample of about 35 sales. manually filtered sold listings Confidence: low.

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