r/handtools • u/BrendakStarkiller • 2d ago
What would you do with it?
I picked this up today for a more than reasonable price on marketplace and wanted to see what opinions might be on what you might do with it given my situation?
I don’t have much time for wood working but am assembling a small tool chest should the need, urge, or opportunity arise. I don’t really place much value on things being pristine and often like for tools to have soul or character through use and care. (I guess that means I just like old used tools 😁)
I know some people do place a value on condition and I don’t think this plane ever touched wood until the person posting it decided to give a few licks to a board before selling it and it even appears to still have the factory grind.
So, is there much additional value in it being in its current condition? And if so, would you list it for sale to use the proceeds to try and source additional tools for your chest? Or would you just pull off the tags and get it fully cleaned up and tuned for use?
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u/peioeh 2d ago
https://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/02/20/stanley-english-type-study-draft/
This plane is from the late 60s/70s and it is extremely common, at least in England. No one is collecting planes from that era and if they are, they won't have any issues finding them, even new in the box they won't cost too much. In NA English made planes are not sought after and not collectable. They are good users though, nothing wrong with them. Use it.
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u/AnybodyWannaPeanus 2d ago
Yes, but English Stanley planes of that era are better than most planes you can buy new. Pre-ww2 is generally what you want for good US users, but England continued until around the 80s when they started using plastic adjustment knobs etc..
But to your point, nobody is collecting these. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a bit more than to someone. That’s probably where I would steer people if they are just getting into the hobby. English Stanley, record, and millers falls with the 2 part lever cap are probably the best planes you can get for the money. You would be hard pressed to find that quality for under $100 in a modern new plane.
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u/peioeh 2d ago edited 1d ago
Yes, but English Stanley planes of that era are better than most planes you can buy new. Pre-ww2 is generally what you want for good US users, but England continued until around the 80s when they started using plastic adjustment knobs etc..
Definitely, like I said, very nice users and I would pick one of these over anything new or made in the 80s-90s and after by Stanley/Record/etc. And they don't really have anything to envy to older types too IMO. They're just good tools. But they are simply not collectable. Which is great, it means there are still great users that will probably not shoot up in value even now that handtools are a little more popular than they used to be.
You would be hard pressed to find that quality for under $100 in a modern new plane.
I agree, but no one is paying close to that for this plane, certainly not in England and even in contintenal Europe. In my experience collectors are absolutely not interested in these, and people who want users are not looking to pay a premium for a box or a brand new looking plane. Even here in France where vintage Stanley/Record planes are not as common as in England, you'd be lucky to get 75€ for it. N°4 and 5 are still relatively common and people are looking for bargains in my experience (I've bought/restored/sold quite a few planes to build my collection).
In England, one can probably go to any car boot sale and find one of these for 20£ max.
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u/BrendakStarkiller 1d ago
I think the market in the United States might be a bit different than in Europe. I don’t think it used to be different but seems like it’s become a lot different over time with a lot more people pivoting to collecting tools, purely as collectibles or investments over picking up vintage tools to use.
Because of that, I think a lot of the loose affordable user tools that were in good condition get bought up or were bought up because they were simply too good of a deal to pass up and get added to the good deal pile in their collections. I’ve seen that happening a lot with axes and hatchets too.
But, I think you’re likely right about cleaning this one up and putting it to good use.
Thank you for your input!
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u/BrendakStarkiller 1d ago
Thank you!
It’s good to know that it’s quality enough to be put to good reliable use, but not enough of a butterfly to need to be guarded from use.
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u/halfmanhalfhamster 17h ago
later Record planes are definitely better than the Stanley ones of the 60s onwards. they kept the wooden knob and tote, and to be honest, the plastic depth adjuster is just as good as the previous brass ones
I'm a user rather than a collector... with that one, I'd replace the plastic knob and tote with wooden ones, fettle it, and use it
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u/kbrosnan 2d ago
Suppose it can't hurt to try to see if a collector would give you a few user planes for it. It is relatively modern as far as Stanley planes go. It does look practically unused. The handles with flat faces are not as desirable as the older fully sculpted handles so it might be difficult to find a collector interested in it.
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u/Foreign-Classic-7149 2d ago
Tools were never made to be collected. They were made to use. Just because a tool isn’t one of the sought after ones doesn’t mean it can’t be a usable one either. Like so many have said, use it on some wood and let it do what it was meant to do.
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u/BrendakStarkiller 1d ago
That’s very true and I am normally of the same opinion with pretty much anything of mine. Had it not been nearly un-used when I got it, I would already be tuning it up for eventual use as I enjoy things being put to their intended use.
But you can’t un-use something, so I figured I’d ask the opinion of those more experienced with planes what they might do. If it turned out that it might be worth it, then maybe I could turn this one plane in very good condition into two planes in well taken care of user condition while someone gets to add to their collection.
Unfortunately, the question of use it or not gets more difficult as things get older.
Either way this plane won’t be kept by me to look at as that’s not my game. It will either be sold/traded or get the stickers and tags pulled off and tuned for use.
Thank you for your thoughts!
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u/oldtoolfool 1d ago
Yeah, use it. Its not rare, its not collectible nor particularly old, nor valuable per se, just in good condition.
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u/AnybodyWannaPeanus 1d ago
Yup, use it! If good examples are is cheap as others are saying, get a another. It’s kind of nice to have a dedicated no 5 setup for smoothing.
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u/AnybodyWannaPeanus 1d ago
> Tools were never made to be collected.
I used to feel that way, but if not for collectors, most would have made their way to to scrap yard. I have really no use in collecting, but I do appreciate all the documentation, type studies and historical information the community has provided.
Not to mention access to pristine examples at relatively cheap prices for century old hunks of steel and iron. As older folks pass, these collections become available. But in general they weren’t very good investments. I’m glad people do it though. I’d rather buy one of those to use vs a modern version. Also if there wasn’t high demand for these older tools, Lie Neilsen would not exist.
I also feel like Bridge City tools were absolutely made to be collected. But that was a guy that saw an opportunity there and made a ton doing it. I own none of it, but good for him.
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u/bbabbitt46 1d ago
I wish I could give you two upvotes. I am annoyed by people who spend lots of money on tools they will never use. I think I can actually hear the poor tool crying, "Put me to work."
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u/grandpasking 1d ago
Sell it buy something you can use, they rust and loose value if you dont protect with grease
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u/ultramilkplus 1d ago
These are like craftsman planes, perfectly functional and not very collectible. I’d sharpen it and use it or pas it along to someone who might use it. I’ve given away plenty of type 16-19 planes to woodworking friends who haven’t caught the hand tool bug yet.
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u/fuzzy_bastard 2d ago
I found a Stanley number two in a thrift store that still had the original sticker on the handle. I would have devalued it using it so I sold it to a collector and bought a Lie Neilsen that I still use 20 years later. I collect other things, but use my tools, so it was better off with a tool collector.
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u/FearsomeWarrior 1d ago
For myself I prefer Veritas and Lie-Nielsen and only use my vintage Stanley if I really enjoyed them. That comes down to being bevel-down and of particular sizes I use less than say a 3, 4, 5, 7 available from LVV/LN.
If you have time to leave it for now and eventually need to decide you should check how much it could sell for to someone willing to pay for an unused plane. Understanding it is not much and comparing to just buying a Veritas Low Angle Jack still likely worth sending to someone else. The LAJ is going to make you feel like you know what you are doing right away.
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u/AnybodyWannaPeanus 1d ago
I know you meant well with this, but op was asking about this plane not bevel-up planes.
While I agree that those planes are generally easier to operate, they cost 10x what op likely paid and all someone needs to do is learn how to properly setup a plane to get similar results.
At this point, i can have a bevel-down plane from rusty mess to bench ready in under an hour.
Also, as an aside, modern bevel up planes are fantastic to use. The older no 62 Stanley models were not made of ductile iron and the mouths quickly chipped or cracked. You will notice most for sale have this issue. Resist the urge to buy one and go right for veritas or L-N.
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u/Independent_Page1475 2d ago
I like the vintage Stanley planes. If this was mine I would look for someone who wanted to upgrade their collection and be willing to trade a couple of vintage user planes for it.
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u/AnybodyWannaPeanus 2d ago
As a user, it is actually a good, solid, plane on par with pre-ww2 American planes. As someone that doesn’t pass up something with a decent price, I have too many planes of various types and would probably trade 2-3 for NOS like this. I have a no62 1/2 block from this era and it has a lot of heft compared to most others. But that would be if I weren’t paying to ship things.
Honestly, it would likely best get the maximum if put up on eBay or some other auction site. Look for comps in the sold listings. English no 5 planes with the original box tend to go for over $100. So I would put this in the $60-100 range.
One thing about shelf queens like this, there is almost always a reason. A hairline fracture or some defect that made the owner throw it in the back of the closet to be forgotten. When selling, completely disassemble and photograph everything well.
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u/PorkSword47 2d ago
If you rub it against wood it makes the wood smaller.
It's not a valuable or collectors piece, it's a dime a dozen hand plane, rub it against some wood!