Stanley No. 4 Plane: Size, Years, Types & Value

ReferenceStanley No. 4 specification

Specification plate

Kind: Smoothing plane
Length: 9 in.
Iron width: 2 in.
Weight: 3¾ lb
Catalogued: 1869–1984
Corrugated (C): 4C, 1898–1970.
Half sizes: No. 4½: 10 in. long, 2⅜ in. iron, 4¾ lb, 1884–1961 (4½C 1898–1961; 4½H aimed at the English market).
Bed Rock version: 604 (1898–1943); 604C (1898–1935); 604½ and 604½C (1898–1935).

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

UseWhat the No. 4 is for

The standard smoother, used to prepare a surface for finishing with fine shavings. Highland Woodworking’s writer calls it his favourite all-round smoother.

CollectingCollectors’ notes

Leach calls it “the standard smoothing plane”: with the No. 5, it is what made Stanley a fortune.
The No. 4 is the plane the collectors’ type study was written around, so dating one is most reliable (woodandshop).
Highland Woodworking says Nos. 4 and 5 are by far the most common antique planes.

DatingHow old is my Stanley No. 4?

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 604 or an English-made plane needs other references.

Open the type finder

Before you buyWhat to check on a used No. 4

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.Aftermarket oilers fitted to early planes.On a 4½: a reground or repainted toe, and a frog from another plane.Early 4½s with no embossing, made for about a year, are among the rarest (Leach).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. 4 worth?

No source we trust publishes a figure. Common, so condition, completeness and type decide price.

QuestionsFrequently asked questions

How long is a Stanley No. 4 plane?

9 in., with a 2 in. iron, weighing about 3¾ lb (Leach).

When was the Stanley No. 4 made?

Stanley catalogued it from 1869 to 1984. To date your plane, use the type finder.

Is there a corrugated No. 4C?

4C, 1898–1970.

Is there a Bed Rock version of the No. 4?

604 (1898–1943); 604C (1898–1935); 604½ and 604½C (1898–1935).

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

1869–1984

Stanley No. 3

Smoothing plane

Length: 8 in.
Iron: 1¾ in.
Weight: 3⅛ lb