History

Dating

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Stanley 4 smoothing plane

offered 1869 - 1984

9" long with  a 2" cutter  

I was told that there are handymen who actually buy a new Stanley No 4 with plastic handles at Bunnings for  well over one hundred dollars. Take it out of its wrapping and you have an instant devaluation in the order of 90%!! This is without doubt the most common of all Stanley planes. Yet, you can walk your legs off at a monster swap like Toowoomba or Bendigo without ever coming across a single USA model with rosewood handle and knob.

Note: Late model planes have hardwood (beech) handles and knobs, coated with some thick, red gunk that makes them look like rosewood. If you're not sure turn the handle/knob over and check underneath. Sometimes the gunk is there as well. Scratch it and if you see a light wood you've struck beech.

Stanley A4 aluminium smoothing plane

offered  1925 - 1935

9" long with  a 2" cutter  

Rustproof they might be, but the gray coating of oxidised aluminium is not much to look at, either.  I don't know how great the need for this plane really was, it's a bit like drinking light beer - why bother if you can't push a heavier tool? The soft aluminium is often deeply scratched on the sole -those planes are valued less. Some of my learned colleagues reckon you shouldn't clean aluminium planes. I beg to differ. 0000 steel wool and mineral turps will restore the shine to the dullest of the dull. PS: I would never clean a plane that looks better in original condition.

All of these planes should have parts in keeping with the SW manufacturing period.

PS: No corrugated aluminium models were offered by Stanley - this is a personal message to the dealer who tried to convince me that his corrugated A4 was an original.

more aluminium Stanley planes: A4, A5, A6, A18, A45, A78

Stanley S4 smoothing plane

offered 1926-1942

9" long with  a 2" cutter  

The same people who brought us the un-rustable plane came up with the unbreakable model as well. Problem is that the unbreakable model is also the one that rusts a lot quicker than your ordinary cast iron plane! There are slight differences in the makes of earlier models but all of them have a pressed steel body that loves rust. You'll find that a lot of these planes have been re-painted. Serious collectors shudder at the thought. My mate in the States reckons his Momma told him to stay away from drugs and repaints. I know he managed at least one of the two but his plane collection is fairly small. For the rest of us with limited budgets and great hopes for a complete set of Stanley planes, repaints are unavoidable. Once they accumulate 20 years of shelf dust they usually look like every other Stanley plane. I hate the real shiny paint jobs - I always dull them down with some fine steel wool but that's me. I've sold planes with 90% japanning to a local collector who stripped them down to the bare cast iron, then varnished it. His Stanley collection consists of rows and rows of shiny silver planes. He thinks they look just great. That's him.

Lever caps on the S4 and S5 are NOT the same as the # 4 & 5 caps.

Note the extra large arched rim on the S4 and S5 lever cap. Frogs are unique, too.

Repaints: I feel they are acceptable for users but don't go paying top dollar to some alchemist who thinks he can fake japanning on a Stanley plane!  See Japanning