How to identify a legit Type 15 Stanley Hand Plane

Online sources for typing planes often leads folks to think their plane is a type 15 but oftentimes it is not, especially the larger sizes - No6, No7, and No8 (as well as fractionals).

This is a look at the bigger picture when determining your Stanley hand plane’s type w/ an emphasis on Type 15 (1931-1932) since that is most commonly misdiagnosed.

#handplane; #handtools; #stanley; #vintagetools; #bailey

[maine]

Running a business, running and participating groups on Facebook, helping newbies and oldies alike get the parts they need, shooting content for YouTube, running down Leeds and buying more tools to keep plenty of tools for us fools, all while collecting for yourself.... Plus having a family! How do you do it all? My suspiciousness are you one of a set of triplets that does a 8hr shift once a day or ur just a cyborg.... All I can say to the 3 of you or the robot is thank you!

[ForestWoodworks]

I totally wish YT would let us post pics, but I'm sure you'd get bombarded. I would never ask anyone to watch one of my videos 😇, but I just posted a Short revealing a couple planes I picked up from a local antique shop. If I read the info on the page correctly, I think the number 4 is from 1902, but idk. I'm totally new and haven't done any hand tool woodwork but I'm getting inspired as my table saw restoration comes to a close. The Short is a quick nod to Paul and starting an inexpensive plan and hand tool collection to clean up and use. Thanks for this info! ❤it

[paulnye]

Great information. I love to collect and restore vintage Stanley planes.. I have two No. 4 baileys I restored and they have big differences.. One has plastic knob and tole with the raised front and back ridge. The second No. 4 is also a Bailey with no raised ridge but is a full inch shorter in length than the first one. Both have Made in England raised in the body. I didn't know that No. 4s were so different in length. I love my No 1 (1899-1902) and No 2 type 11 or 12 . They are in perfect working order after many hours of sanding, sharpening and polishing.

[asterisk]

You are a gold mine of information. Thank you for taking the time to do these videos. Reading about it is one thing, but being able to see the differences visually with video is invaluable.

[jeffk]

Thanks for the very informative video! My initial conclusion about my No 3 was completely wrong. Now that I understand what was meant by the raised rib on the on the toe and heel, it is clear that I most likely have a type 19 not a type 15. While I fine with whatever type I have, it is nice to know what it actually is and the approximate age. Thanks again!

[billenger]

Thanks for the very informative video. It is timely for me since I just purchased a No. 5 1/4 and, with no raised rib, I thought it was type 15. But all the other features point to type 16, exactly as you described! Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[MichaelDeBacker]

This was Perfect! I have a no. 7 that I thought was a mess of type 15 body and 16 or later parts. After watching your video, I truly believe it is a prewar type 16 with correct parts. Thank you!

[Jakep]

Got a real type fifteen for 10 bucks with some files as well has a broke tote and is kind of roughish but I cleaned it up and it work wonderfully best plane I have by far

[David]

Exellent video from an experienced plane expert - thanks.
I've been hunting a replacement type 15 base for a while and think I've found one, but I was itching for you to remove the frog from yours and give a clear view of the base, by itself.
I think as a general principle in your identifying videos it would be useful to do this, and give a clear shot of a naked base, of whatever model you are teaching us about, that way, someone looking for a replacement base, would be able to see all the relevent features in one image.
Just a thought.
Thanks again for a very instructive video.

[bilal]

Thank you for this and all these videos. I had this type 15 question with a 4-1/2 a few weeks ago!

[jamesharris]

Hey Mike should do one on the English Canadian and Aussie types to just to keep you busy mate.Always a pleasure to watch and learn a bit from you tnx👍💯👀

[nicholasscaffetta]

Thanks for the lesson Michael. Now I will go back and check my 7 to see if it is truly a type 15.

[thewalnutwoodworker]

I have what I think is a Type 15 No 5c. Perfect type 15 body and leaver cap with the wrong frog. The iron is not its original AA logo but the plane clearly saw tons of use and it is nearly full length. The nickel platting on the leaver cap is worn away where the user put their pointer finger during use. Everything on this plane is perfect, intact handles and I even kept the original finish. While I don't care about my plane being type correct as it is the best performing plane in my shop, I wonder if it is common to see planes with parts from the type before or after? I know types were something that tool collectors came up with and Stanley probably had parts left and used them.

[StreamHugger]

Great informative review. Thanks, MJ!

[haroldschultz]

If you're looking for a screw for the frog on that type 15 on the far left, I know a guy . Lol Very informative my friend , that's some good stuff to know while we're out pickin'.

[robinalexander]

Very interesting thanks. cheer from Tasmania

[incredible]

The Author of that book Roger Smith is a good friend of mine!!! Local!!! I can get copies off him for a good price if anyone needs one!!

[OffGrid]

Thanks for a great, informative video. I just today received a well-used but decent SB #4 (from eBay, where else?). It's a beater, and will be a user, not a collector's item in a showcase, so I'm not worried about having a perfectly original tool. The- photos in the listing weren't great, but it looked like a type 15. Following along with your videos (this one and the one differentiating between 15's and 16's, I was able to determine, absolutely, that it's a type 15, and in decent shape - sole is flat, no pitting; some surface rust on frog and other parts but again, no pitting; no frozen screws; tote & knob are rosewood, no major chips or gouges; Everything looks like it will be good with cleaning, fettling, tuning, sharpening. However, there are issues - the frog has residual orange paint on the sides...it looks like it was original - did type 15 frogs ever have the orange sides? Second, the cap iron is painted yellow (again, looks original). Third, the iron is stamped, "TWO-TONE by Stanley". Clearly the original iron has been replaced with a lower-quality iron...I have no idea if the Two-Tone iron will hold an edge, but if it doesn't, I can get another iron. But I wonder about the cap-iron. I can remove the paint, that's not a problem...but I wonder it it was original to the type 15 plane?

[cwell]

Is the underlying problem with the logic tree that some Type 16-19 planes were made without the raised rib at the heel and toe? Perhaps Stanley continued to use the Type 15 castings on newer planes, just until they ran out. So there are some examples like your No.7 that have a Type 15 casting but other features like the depth adjust knob from later types.

[smorgasbord-riogrande]

Thanks 👍🏻 For helping me identify my Type 16 Stanley Bailey No 4
I appreciate your knowledge. 👉🏻🔪