The Stanley Handyman Series of Hand Planes

Shop Timetestedtool's tool Store ......... Vintage Tool Parts liquidation......... See other Timetestedtools Sites

The Stanley Handyman Series of Hand Planes

The Handyman line of hand planes always seems to spark some controversy when the subject arises. I personally am not a fan of the Handyman hand plane as users for woodworking. They do however hold their place in history, and some, with a little effort can be made to work just fine.

As best as I can tell, the Handyman line of tools started in the 1923-1924 timeframe, but the first Hand Plane wasn’t made until 1957. They were a replacement for the Stanley Defiance line, which was also a secondary line, although the Defiance line was manufactured a little better and were a better user grade tool. The The Stanley Handyman Series of Hand Plane were produced from around 1957 to 1973 and were part of Stanley’s budget-friendly line of tools.

It’s not uncommon for a lot of collector and writers like myself to have a small dislike for these underachievers, often times not even mentioned in books about Stanley Hand Planes and sometimes they only get a mention in passing as if to not want to completely exclude them but not want to draw any attention to the undesirables.

I did include a list in my “Stanley Hand Plane Inventory Workbook” both the full size and the pocket guide. I did this trying to be as complete as possible and I know there are collectors out there for the Handyman line. Some folks love rooting for an underdog.

This is the complete line of hand planes. Note the model numbers all begin with an H.

Dates and measurements reference “The Stanley Plane: A History and Descriptive Inventory by Alvin Sellens”

• Stanley Handyman #H101 Trimming Plane — Length 3 1/2″ Cutter 1″ Offered 1964-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H102 Block Plane — Length 6″ Cutter 1 1/4″ Offered 1964-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H104 Smooth Bench Plane — Length 10″ Cutter 2″ Offered 1964
• Stanley Handyman #H1203 Smooth Plane — Length 8″ or 9 3/4″ Cutter 1 1/4″ Offered 1957-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H1204 Smooth Plane — Length 9″ or 9 3/4″ Cutter 2″ Offered 1957-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H1205 Jack Plane — Length 14″ Cutter 2″ Offered 1957-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H1247 Block Plane — Length 6 5/8″ Cutter 1 5/8″ Offered 1957-1973
• Stanley Handyman #H1248 Block Plane — Length 5 1/2″ Cutter 1 9/32″ Offered 1957-1962
• Stanley Handyman #H1249 Block Plane — Length 6 5/8″ Cutter 1 5/8″ Offered 1957-1969
• Stanley Handyman #H1220 Block Plane — Length 7 1/2″ Cutter 1 5/8″

But lets face it, 1957 to 1973 wasn’t exactly and era of great woodworking tools. The general population seemed to have other things on their minds, and tools tools were thought of as a thing of the past. These planes were typically sold in department stores and were often given as Father’s Day gifts. They are generally not held in high regard by serious woodworkers due to their lower quality compared to other Stanley planes.

I did prove that it’s possible with a reasonable effort to restore a Handyman smooth and make it work reasonable well in a YouTube series on Hand Plane Restoration.

---

---

---

Handyman Examples

---

________________ As an Amazon associate, we earn income from qualifying purchases when you click on a link. Your link clicks help us fund our website. ________________