10 Reasons Why are old Stanley Planes Better

If you ever wondered why you are told to buy an old Stanley plane opposed to buying a new one here are 10 good reasons why.

1.  The steel: It seems if Stanley tools could get away from using steel in their planes they would but given they can’t there has a been a significant drop in quality in the steel used. This affects both wear and tear and performance, unlike their predecessors modern Stanley planes will not stand the test of time. There is one reason for this, the process used in making old Steel has higher manufacturing costs.
2. The handles: Stanley planes handles evolved over time from rosewood before changing to a cheaper wood and eventually on to those cheap but durable plastic ones. As time went on it shows more evidence of the decline in quality and the emphasis on cost cutting.
3. The Frog: Started out as a very robust and durable casting which is important given wear affects performance, it is also more evident over time the weight of the material used was reduced and modern Stanley plane frogs bear little resemblance to their predecessors. The main difference between them is early frogs were made to last whereby the modern types just do the job.
4. Screws and components: All are smaller, lighter and less durable, the modern yoke should be renamed a joke and the flimsy adjusters aren’t any where near as durable.
5. The Iron: Old Stanley irons were just sharper and performed better because of the high carbon content in the steel.
6. The Lever Cap: Early lever caps were solid and smooth before gradually declining in quality, rarely do you find an old lever cap that has a broken lever unlike many modern ones i’ve seen.
7. Choice: Back in the day Stanley made a wide range of planes in all different sizes and purposes, they seem to have dropped the specialist models for commonly used types, I guess its something to do with production costs.
8. The Paint: Old Planes castings and frogs were coated in a thick black shellac, nowadays the paint seems so thin it’s a good job they use black.
9. The Price: A modern Stanley No:4 will set you back around £50 and an old one fully restored would cost £30-£60 depending on what era you choose. A Stanley bedrock would cost more but given the quality of their old planes the prices cannot be compared to new ones.
10. The Resale value: A modern Stanley used a couple of times would struggle to sell for £10 whereas a good old Stanley will retain it’s value. It’s a no brainer, modern Stanley planes simply aren’t worth buying..