Planespotting
Monday 17 December 2001
If you pick up Stanley planes in junk shops and wonder how old they are, I have a suggestion. Print out this web page and carry it with you. It’s a dichotomous key: Answer a few yes/no questions about the tool to discover its date. You might find a Type 1 (1867-1869), worth a lot of money to an obsessed Stanley collector.
I’m not obsessed, but I did check the six bench planes in my toolbox. Two were Type 14 (1929-30), three were Type 15 (1931-32). That’s odd, I would have expected a greater spread of dates.
Metal wood plane with "stanley" painted on the handle and it's got "102 made in ENG (England)" in raised letters.
Could you please let us know what year it was made and what it is worth?
Thanks, Ken.