Stanley 112136 No.4 Premium Bench Plane

Product Information

I can’t speak for Paul, and I’ve never used a new Stanley but I would say yes, the quality of Stanley has dropped considerably in my opinion, just like nearly every other tool maker, they wouldn’t be able to stay afloat if they didn’t drop their quality at some point. Many good tool makers have disappeared over the years, many others were bought out or taken over by Stanley and then the great tools that were made well disappeared. They mainly just rely on the name ‘Stanley’, everyone knows them and thinks they are good so that’s how they can keep selling rubbish tools and get away with it. Some tools are ok but I’ve bought some really bad ‘modern’ designs from Stanley over the years.

Like many a passionate woodworker, I have for years been inflicted with a sentimental love for the Stanley Bailey hand planes. As a result, I own a few and these good old Leonard Bailey designs are the seed of many hand plane designs today. So many manufacturers have based their own designs on the Bailey hand plane. Sadly some manufacturers have plagiarized the Leonard Bailey patents and with varying degrees of success. For other reasons, based on my knowledge and experience as a professional engineer, I bought the Veritas smoothing plane. It does all I want it to and does it well. If I had wanted to save money in the initial expenditure I would have bought the Luban plane. I would never buy the Stanley plane.

As you examine the plane, look for a raised ring that works as a receiver of the knob cast into the bed. In some cases, there is one patent date, and no raised ring, meaning your plane is Type 13, and the dates range from 1925 to 1928. If there is one patent date and a raised ring, the plane type is Type 14, which dates between 1929 and 1930. If there are no patent dates and raised rings, you also have a plane Type 1 to 8. The blade across the width was totally flat down the length it was slightly concave but the smallest feeler gauge I had 0.003″would not go under the straight edge.The blade came with a sharp cutting edge If the word STANLEY is on the lateral adjustment lever in a vertical script, the plane Type is 19 and dated between 1949 and 1961. I”ve seen this argument time and time again, all comes down to personal preference I guess but there are some facts there in a real life workshop that can’t be ignored in my opinion. Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use.

SUITABLE FOR: Removing very fine shavings from a variety of wood types to leave a smooth finish. When used effectively, the “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane from STANLEY® can produce a finish that equals or surpasses that made by conventional sandpaper. Each type has features that distinguish it from the others, with parts and markings cast into the metal. The variation features are the aircraft number, patent numbers, or dates. Allow me to detail the steps to dating a Stanley plane. Steps for dating Stanley hand planes The lateral adjustment lever is now two-piece construction. It has a circular disk replacing the straight portion where it engages the slot in the iron. The brass adjusting nut has a left-hand thread. “7-24-88” is also stamped into the lever.

Background

There are a bewildering number of different types of plane, but there seems to be a grouping of the general-purpose bench planes used in converting a roughly-hewn chunk of wood into a straight, flat, smooth, square piece of timber: Stanley Type 11 Handplanes date from 1910-1918. The APR-19-10 patent date appears with the other patent dates cast behind the frog. There is a new trademark adopted, where “STANLEY” “NEW BRITAIN” “CONN.” “U.S.A.” forms a v-shaped logo. If you tell me that the Stanley planes of 40 years ago are better than the new ones today, I wouldn’t argue. If you try to tell me that these old Stanley planes are as good as the good planes of today then I’ll walk away – it’s not a proposition that is worth discussing.

Pay attention to the color of the plane. When the Stanley plane is painted blue, it is Type 15 to 20, and the plane is Type 20 and it dates from 1962 to 1967. Stanley Type 5 Handplanes dates 1885-1888. It has two patent dates, “2-8-76” and “10-21-84”, stamped with the word “STANLEY.” It has the same trademark stamped into the iron, except that “STANLEY” is in a straight line, in large letters. The lateral lever is one-piece construction and engages the slot straight across the iron. The frog top is no longer rounded but flattened into an arch shape. The rest of the logo is in small letters. Stanley Type 7 (Stanley no 7 plane identification) Handplanes date from 893-1899. The number designation is spaced farther apart. Bailey’s name and patent dates are no longer on the brass adjustment nut and cap iron. Is there any other physical difference that makes a No.4 more useful for smoothing, other than it's smaller size and weight making it easier to handle?Stanley Type 8 Handplanes date from 1899-1902. The “7-24-88” is the only patent date found on the lateral adjustment lever, and “STANLEY” is still there. The “S” casting marks are eliminated and replaced with “B.” As you measure the depth-adjustment nut, note if it is 1-1/4inch in diameter. That means it has three dates cast into the bed, and the plane is Type 12, dating between 1919 and 1924. If not, that means it is a Type 11 and dates 1910 and 1918. After opening up the mouth I fitted the new iron into the plane and tried it out, it cut shavings ok. Stanley Type 9 Handplanes date from 1902-1907. No patent date on the lateral lever. “B” casting marks are eliminated. The number designation is now cast just behind the knob. A smaller bearing surface is cast into the bed. The frog has a slot at its bottom to fit over the ribbed cast in the bed. CLASSIC CHERRY WOOD HANDLES: Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cherry wood, the handle and knob are shaped to fit the hand naturally and comfortably, providing comfort in extended or repetitive use.