Quickly Identify Your Hand Plane
A Short guide to identifying the most common Vintage Hand Planes found. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should guide you in a general direction to find out who made your vintage hand plane.
And follow this link for more help “WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING VINTAGE PLANES”.
Vintage Stanley made: Stanley type study
The lateral adjuster on a Stanley made plane.
After 1885 when Stanley added the lateral adjuster, All Stanley Bailey and Stanley Bedrock planes had this style adjuster.
The first one is a Stanley Bedrock. An exceptional plane. Make sure yours in question has the Stanley Lateral shown above.
Birmingham Plane (B Plane) Here is one restored
The Birmingham Plane Manufacturing Company of Birmingham, CT (1885-1900)
Sargent made: Here is Sargent Dating info
The lateral adjuster on a Sargent made plane.
Sargent 1910 and before:
The Sargent twisted lateral had 2 different guides,
The type 2 (horseshoe style on the left) and type 3 (bent type on the right)
Sargent 1911 and After: (Including Hercules)
Millers Falls made:
That lateral adjuster on a Millers Falls made plane.
Ohio Tools made: Here is some more info and more pictures to help identify a Ohio Tools plane.
The lateral adjuster on a Ohio Tools made plane. Note this twist is slightly different than the Sargent or Union.
Early Ohio Lateral
Later Ohio Lateral
Stanley made Defiance:
That lateral adjuster on a Stanley made Defiance plane.
Another telltale sign of the defiance plane is the flat sided reddish tote.
Stanley made Handyman:
That lateral adjuster on a Stanley made Handyman series plane.
Union made:
That lateral adjuster of a Union looks like the early twisted Sargent, but with a washer type guide like the Ohio Tools or Stanley.
Stanley After the 70’s
this is a Stanley type 21 (1962-67)
To Quickly Identify Your Hand Plane made by –
Record
Upson Nut
Vaughan & Bushnell
Here is one type of Vaughan & Bushnell
