Stanley No. 2 Plane: Size, Years, Types & Value

ReferenceStanley No. 2 specification

Specification plate

Kind: Smoothing plane
Length: 7 in.
Iron width: 1⅝ in.
Weight: 2¼ lb
Catalogued: 1869–1961
Corrugated (C): 2C, 1898–1943. Leach has seen fewer 2Cs than No. 1s.
Half sizes: None
Bed Rock version: 602 (1898–1942, scarce); 602C (1898–1918, scarce; Leach warns of counterfeit corrugations).

Sizes, weights and catalogue years from Patrick Leach’s Blood & Gore.

UseWhat the No. 2 is for

A small smoother. Popular Woodworking calls it more a collectible than a good working tool.

CollectingCollectors’ notes

Leach calls the No. 2 “certainly scarce”.
Late production was longer: Leach says roughly ½ in. longer, handplane.com says the Type 19 (1955–61) is 1 in. longer. Sources vary.

DatingHow old is my Stanley No. 2?

Date it with the collectors’ type study: patent dates behind the frog, the lateral lever, the lever-cap logo and hole, the knob and the iron logo narrow it to a range of years. The study was written around the No. 4; other sizes follow it with minor differences. A Bed Rock 602 or an English-made plane needs other references.

Open the type finder

Before you buyWhat to check on a used No. 2

In-person checks

Look for cracksCheck the cheeks, the mouth and the area around the frog seat. A cracked casting is the most serious fault on any plane.A No. 3 lever cap ground down to fit.A cracked or repaired heel.Crude, home-made corrugations on a “2C”.Match the partsIron, lever cap and frog should all be for this size and roughly the same type.

0 of 5 checked

ValueWhat is a Stanley No. 2 worth?

In March 2006 handplane.com listed eBay prices of $220–$560, with early Types 1–2 higher. Those figures are 20 years old: check current sold prices below.

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

How long is a Stanley No. 2 plane?

7 in., with a 1⅝ in. iron, weighing about 2¼ lb (Leach).

When was the Stanley No. 2 made?

Stanley catalogued it from 1869 to 1961. To date your plane, use the type finder.

Is there a corrugated No. 2C?

2C, 1898–1943. Leach has seen fewer 2Cs than No. 1s.

Is there a Bed Rock version of the No. 2?

602 (1898–1942, scarce); 602C (1898–1918, scarce; Leach warns of counterfeit corrugations).

ReferencesSources

Patrick Leach asks that Blood & Gore be credited by name. Where sources disagree we show both. Spotted an error? Tell us.

Last reviewed October 2026

Keep exploring

Neighbouring sizes

1869–1943

Stanley No. 1

Smoothing plane

Length: 5½ in.
Iron: 1¼ in.
Weight: 1⅛ lb

1869–1984

Stanley No. 3