I recently found this great looking Stanley No. 113 Circular plane. When you look at the workmanship in the old planes from this time period is just fascinates me. I love to just sit them down and look at them.

 

The Stanley No. 113 was the third Circular plane that Stanley decided they needed in the tool lineup. They were made from 1879 to 1942 and went through several changes during that time. The No. 113 was made to compete with the design on the Leonard Bailey Victor design where the front and back adjustment moved in unison.

 

 

The Type 1 was made from 1877 to 1880. It has a large ornate cast nickel plated knob on the front. On the knob is had "STANLEY RULE & LEVEL CO" cast around the outside and "PATENTED SEPT 25 1877" around the inner circle and a decorative maze in the middle.

 

 

The cutter is stamped "Stanley Rule & Level Co., New Britain, CT" and "Pat'd April 18,1876" and "Reis'd Mar. 20, 1877."

 

 

Screw down lever cap with fancy cap screw.

 

 

The two small pieces of steel that are hinged and riveted to the front and back of the flexbile sole are pointed toward the center of the plane resembling the shape of a shield. Sargent's 6/17/1879 patent date is stamped on the dovetailed lug attaching the sole to the body of the plane.

 

 

So here is the big change in the difference in a Type 1(1877-1880) and a Type 2 (1880 - 1891).

 

The cutter wheel on side of plane now has a four-hole design in the casting and is nickel plated.

 

 

The No.113 is cast into the body behind the Large Front knob.

 

 

 

So this is a Type 2 Stanley No. 113 and wow am I excited to add it to the display cabinet. Can you imagine that this plane is right at 135 years old.

 

So I will continue to look and see about adding a Type 1 to go with this Type 2.

 

Patriot Picking at it's best!

 

That is cooler than you explained it to me John.  Nice snag!

As I am fond of say- John, you're gonna need a bigger cabinet!

What a great find John.

Awesome find, and great images too. Thanks for the history lesson too John. I love the ornate styling on these old tools!

Awesome find, and great images too. Thanks for the history lesson too John. I love the ornate styling on these old tools!

 

 

I do too John. It is amazing how they made a great tool that has lasted and yet made look really good and stand out. Today, everything is vanilla, no thrills or frills.

I do too John. It is amazing how they made a great tool that has lasted and yet made look really good and stand out. Today, everything is vanilla, no thrills or frills.

Cost and what we are willing to pay! I guess.

That is why we have to go to the secondary market to make our hand tools look beautiful.

I have a been a huge fan of this lady, Catharine Kennedy, my Facebook friend and artist. She does incredible work!

 

You can find her here at Custom Engraving by Catharine Kennedy, or on her Facebook Page.

That looks like an old Stanley No. 4 Smoother with a modified lever cap, I don't think Stanley had brass lever caps, or did they? But she'll take your old planes, and new ones, and turn them into something very special.

Thanks goodness for artisans who are willing to keep it alive.

bumped to the top.

Thanks for bumping this up.  I enjoyed the read and pictures.  A lot of these old planes have been trashed I'm sure.  I like to see there are some that have survived and are being cared for.

Thanks John for the bump...you seem to be magnetic and find the most unusual tools...Really cool. I had read an article about Catharine Kennedy some time back and read her website complete. A very gifted artisan. 

That is some nice topic here. I did not know there were people who did engraving on planes. Isn't it a shame they stopped putting nice knobs on planes like those?

On 9/25/2016 at 9:25 PM, Grandpadave52 said:

Thanks John for the bump...you seem to be magnetic and find the most unusual tools...Really cool. I had read an article about Catharine Kennedy some time back and read her website complete. A very gifted artisan. 

 

 

Thanks, I love to rust hunt but I'm to the point I have gotten picky I have so many now. But I have a hard time walking away from any of them. 

I, too, hate to see them go to the scrap yard for pennies or sit on someone's shelf never to be used. I will rescue even if I can't use it.

 

There has been more then one "happy camper" on a birthday or at Christmas.