Vintage Stanley Bailey No. 4 Smoothing Plane

This is a vintage Stanley Bailey No. 4 smoothing plane with a US-made Bailey body and a later Stanley “Made in England” iron. It’s set up as a ready-to-use shop plane, not just shelf décor.

The body has black japanning, a yellow STANLEY logo on the lever cap, and a corrugated (grooved) sole. I’ve gone through it using my standard restoration process, keeping original finish and honest patina while making sure it performs like a proper user plane.

Dating note: Etsy requires choosing a single decade, so this listing is filed under 1960s. The US-made Bailey body is consistent with later post-war production (roughly 1962–1967). The iron is a later Stanley replacement marked “Made in England.”

Details

• Model: Stanley Bailey No. 4 bench plane
• Origin (body): Made in USA (Bailey pattern with US casting details)
• Iron: Stanley replacement iron marked “STANLEY – MADE IN ENGLAND”
• Body markings: “BAILEY” at the toe, “No 4” behind the knob
• Lever cap: raised STANLEY logo in yellow field
• Length: approx. 9 in (see photos with ruler)
• Iron width: approx. 2 in
• Sole: corrugated / grooved
• Finish: black japanning, original wood knob and tote
• Includes printed care guide

Condition

Body & Sole

• US-made Bailey casting, no cracks or repairs.
• Corrugated sole has been lightly lapped for flat bearing at the toe, ahead of the mouth, and heel.
• Edges of the sole are lightly eased to reduce track marks on your work.

Iron & Chip Breaker

• Stanley “Made in England” iron, clean with light staining only.
• Back flattened at the working end and honed through a full progression.
• Bevel sharpened with a slight camber suitable for smoothing.
• Chip breaker lip tuned to mate tightly to the iron to help control tear-out.

Frog & Adjuster

• Frog face cleaned and lightly stoned for solid bedding of the iron.
• Frog re-seated and aligned; mouth set to a reasonable opening for smoothing.
• Depth and lateral adjusters move freely with good engagement.

Knob & Tote

• Original hardwood knob and tote with honest hand wear but no cracks.
• Finish cleaned and refreshed, not stripped—still looks like a proper vintage tool.

Performance

• Set up and test-planed on hardwood.
• Takes consistent, thin, curly shavings (see photos) without chatter.

This is a user-grade plane: mechanically sound, tuned, and ready to go to work. Expect normal cosmetic wear from decades of use, but nothing that affects performance.

Work Performed

• Fully disassembled and cleaned with solvent and a nylon brush.
• Light surface rust removed from bare steel while preserving japanning.
• Sole checked and lapped where it matters; edges eased.
• Frog cleaned, tuned, and re-seated; mouth adjusted.
• Iron back flattened and sharpened; chip breaker tuned.
• Knob and tote cleaned, finish refreshed, and waxed.
• Light oil on moving parts; paste wax on sole and sides.
• Reassembled, tuned, and test-planed.