Stanley Specialty Planes – Summary Guide
Stanley produced a wide range of specialty planes designed for joinery, shaping, trimming, rabbeting, plowing, molding, and other precision woodworking tasks. The following summary lists major Stanley specialty planes with brief descriptions of the unique functions each one served. Click on the highlighted link to see details about each specialty plane.
Rabbet & Shoulder Planes
Stanley No. 10 – Standard Rabbet Plane
A bench-style rabbet plane with open sides, used for cutting full-width rabbets across the grain.
Production Dates: c. 1869–1962. See More…
Stanley No. 10½ – Bench Rabbet Plane with Adjustable Mouth
An enhanced No. 10 featuring an adjustable mouth for improved control and reduced tear-out.
Production Dates: 1872–1962
Stanley No. 10¼ – Rabbet Plane with Tilting Handle
Includes a tilting rear tote that allows use in horizontal or vertical positions—ideal for carriage builders.
Production Dates: 1911–1942
Stanley No. 90 – Cabinetmakers’ Rabbet Plane
A precision shoulder and trimming plane for rabbets, tenons, and fine fitting.
Production Dates: 1898–1973
Stanley No. 90A – Adjustable Rabbet & Shoulder Plane
Improved version of the No. 90 with adjustable throat for tighter control of shavings.
Production Dates: 1930–1982
Stanley No. 92 – Cabinetmakers’ Shoulder Plane
A small shoulder plane designed for trimming tenon shoulders and rabbets.
Production Dates: 1900–1973
Stanley No. 93 – Precision Shoulder Plane
Highly regarded shoulder plane used for fine joinery fitting and trimming.
Production Dates: 1902–1973
Stanley No. 75 – Bullnose Rabbet Plane
Short, compact rabbet plane perfect for working in tight corners.
Production Dates: 1877–1983
Circular & Compass Planes
Stanley No. 113 – Compass Plane
A flexible sole plane designed for shaping concave and convex curves.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 20 – Circular Plane
A more refined compass plane with improved flexible steel sole and smooth adjustment.
Production Dates: TBD
Scrub & Low-Angle Specialty Planes
Stanley No. 40 – Scrub Plane
Used for rapid stock removal and rough flattening of boards.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 62 – Low-Angle Jack Plane
A bevel-up jack plane ideal for end-grain cutting, shooting boards, and difficult woods.
Production Dates: TBD
Duplex & Special Rabbet Planes
Stanley No. 78 – Duplex Rabbet Plane
One of Stanley’s most popular joinery tools, used for cutting rabbets, fillets, and dadoes.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 78W – Door Rabbet Plane
Wide version of the 78, designed specifically for door edging.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 190 – Iron Rabbet Plane
A simple, metal-bodied rabbet plane for general-purpose joinery.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 191 & 192 – Duplex Rabbet Planes
Refined versions of the No. 78 for cleaner rabbet cutting; 192 includes spur cutters.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 239 – Dado Plane
A combination dado plane used for cross-grain grooves with spurs and depth stops.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 278 – Adjustable Rabbet Plane
Compact plane with open body and skew cutter for end-grain rabbeting.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 289 – Skew Cutter Rabbet Plane
A premium skewed rabbet plane with fence and depth stop—ideal for cross-grain work.
Production Dates: TBD
Tongue & Groove Planes
Stanley No. 48 – Tongue & Groove Plane
Reversible plane for cutting both tongues and grooves in stock of fixed thickness.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 49 – Tongue & Groove Plane
Similar to the No. 48, designed for narrower stock.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 148 – Double-End Tongue & Groove Plane
Dual-ended design with separate cutters for quicker tongue-and-groove production.
Production Dates: TBD
Combination & Plow Planes
Stanley No. 45 – Combination Plane
One of Stanley’s most versatile tools—cuts rabbets, grooves, beads, dadoes, and moldings with interchangeable cutters.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 46 – Skew-Cutter Combination Plane
Skewed cutters provide superior cross-grain performance compared to the No. 45.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 55 – Universal Combination Plane
Stanley’s most complex plane; capable of producing hundreds of molding profiles with its extensive cutter set.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 248 – Plow Plane
A light, metal-bodied plow plane designed for cutting narrow grooves, especially in cabinetmaking.
Production Dates: TBD
Router Planes
Stanley No. 271 – Small Router Plane
Compact router plane for trimming small recesses, hinge mortises, and inlay cavities.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 71 – Open-Throat Router Plane
General-purpose router plane for cleaning dados, tenons, and recesses.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 71½ – Closed-Throat Router Plane
Provides better support when working near edges and narrow recesses.
Production Dates: TBD
Scraper Planes
Stanley No. 12 – Scraper Plane
Used for smoothing difficult grain and finishing surfaces without tear-out.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 12½ – Hardwood Bottom Scraper Plane
Same as the No. 12 but with a hardwood sole for extra-smooth scraping action.
Production Dates: TBD
Edge-Trimming & Specialty Block-Like Tools
(These are NOT block planes—these are specialty-purpose trimming tools.)
Stanley No. 95 – Edge Trimming Plane
Precisely squares and trims board edges; indispensable for joinery fitting.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 97 – Cabinet Maker’s Edge Plane
A wide, low-profile trimming plane used for shooting edges and fitting panels.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 99 – Side Rabbet Plane (Dual)
Used for widening or adjusting dadoes and grooves.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley No. 79 – Side Rabbet Plane (Adjustable)
Improved side rabbet plane with both left and right cutting irons.
Production Dates: TBD
Stanley Specialty Plane Master Table
Complete Listing of Special-Purpose Stanley Planes with Dates, Functions & Images
RABBET & SHOULDER PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 10 | c. 1869–1962 | Standard bench rabbet plane for cutting full-width rabbets. |
| No. 10½ | 1872–1962 | Rabbet plane with adjustable mouth for improved tear-out control. |
| No. 10¼ | 1911–1942 | Tilting handle rabbet plane designed for carriage builders. |
| No. 90 | 1898–1973 | Small cabinetmaker’s rabbet plane for fine trimming and tenon fitting. |
| No. 90A | 1930–1982 | Adjustable-mouth version of the No. 90; better for delicate joinery. |
| No. 92 | 1900–1973 | Shoulder plane ideal for trimming tenon cheeks and rabbets. |
| No. 93 | 1902–1973 | Precision shoulder plane for final fitting of joinery. |
| No. 75 | 1877–1983 | Bullnose rabbet plane for tight corners and detailed trimming. |
Curated Images:
CIRCULAR & COMPASS PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 113 | 1877–1942 | Compass plane with flexible sole for concave/convex shaping. |
| No. 20 | 1898–1915 | Improved circular plane with precision flexible steel sole. |
Curated Images:
SCRUB & LOW-ANGLE SPECIALTY PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 40 | 1869–1962 | Scrub plane for rapid stock removal and rough flattening. |
| No. 62 | 1905–1942 | Low-angle bevel-up jack plane for end grain and shooting board work. |
Curated Images:
DUPLEX, RABBET & DADO PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 78 | 1885–1983 | Duplex rabbet plane for rabbets, dados, and fillets. |
| No. 78W | 1910–1940s | Wider version for door edging. |
| No. 190 | 1910–1942 | Compact rabbet plane for general joinery rabbets. |
| No. 191 | 1910–1942 | Duplex rabbet plane with improved iron geometry. |
| No. 192 | 1910–1942 | Same as 191, but includes spurs for cross-grain cuts. |
| No. 239 | 1916–1942 | Dado plane with spurs & depth stop for cross-grain grooves. |
| No. 278 | 1914–1942 | Adjustable iron rabbet plane with skew cutter for end-grain. |
| No. 289 | 1911–1942 | Skew rabbet plane with fence—excellent for cross-grain. |
Curated Images:
TONGUE & GROOVE PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 48 | 1876–1942 | Swing-fence plane for cutting matching tongues & grooves. |
| No. 49 | 1876–1942 | Narrow-stock version of the No. 48. |
| No. 148 | 1912–1942 | Double-ended T&G plane for fast switching of functions. |
Curated Images:
COMBINATION & UNIVERSAL PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 45 | 1884–1962 | Multi-purpose combination plane for beads, rabbets, grooves, dadoes, moldings. |
| No. 46 | 1888–1916 | Skew-blade version of the 45, superior cross-grain performance. |
| No. 55 | 1897–1962 | Universal plane capable of hundreds of molding profiles with massive cutter set. |
| No. 248 | 1909–1942 | Lightweight plow plane for narrow grooves. |
Curated Images:
ROUTER PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 271 | 1926–1982 | Small router plane for hinge mortises, inlays & detail recesses. |
| No. 71 | 1874–1973 | Open-throat router plane for dados, tenons, and recess leveling. |
| No. 71½ | 1906–1967 | Closed-throat version for narrow, near-edge work. |
Curated Images:
SCRAPER PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 12 | 1870–1942 | Cabinet scraper plane for difficult grain smoothing. |
| No. 12½ | 1870–1942 | Hardwood-bottom version for extra-smooth scraping. |
Curated Images:
EDGE-TRIMMING PLANES
| Model | Production Dates | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|
| No. 95 | 1911–1983 | Edge-trimming plane for squaring and edge fitting. |
| No. 97 | 1905–1943 | Large edge plane for trimming the edges of panels. |
| No. 99 | 1911–1942 | Side rabbet plane pair for widening grooves and dadoes. |
| No. 79 | 1911–1982 | Adjustable side rabbet plane for joinery fine-tuning. |
Curated Images:
Summary
Stanley’s specialty plane line showcases their engineering innovation and understanding of fine woodworking needs. These planes were purpose-built for:
- Joinery
- Moldings
- Edge trimming
- Rabbet/dado work
- Timber fitting
- Curve shaping
- Surface finishing
They remain sought after by collectors and woodworkers for their precision, durability, and historical significance.
SEO Keywords
Stanley specialty plane list, Stanley rabbet plane, Stanley router plane, Stanley combination plane, Stanley plow plane, Stanley 45, Stanley 55, Stanley 78, Stanley 289, Stanley 71 router, Stanley shoulder plane, Stanley scraper plane, Stanley 12, Stanley 95 edge plane, vintage woodworking planes, antique joinery tools, Stanley tool history, specialty hand planes.