Stanley's Bailey bench planes span twenty Types across a century of production, each covering a few years. The patent dates cast behind the frog tell you where to begin.
This chart runs the same logic as the interactive identifier on a single sheet: count the dates, follow the path, and read off the Type and its years. Print it and fold it into your apron for the bench or the show.
How to Use It
It comes down to four steps, and the first one does most of the work.
Count the patent dates
Count the patent dates cast into the bed behind the frog, ignoring "MADE IN U.S.A." and the size number.
Pick the matching path
One, two, or three dates lead straight to a pair of Types, while no dates sends you on to the size number and the markings on the lateral lever.
Answer the yes / no checks
A few details settle the rest: the lever-cap recess, the frog screw, the knob seat, and the lettering on the lateral lever.
Read the Type and confirm
The path ends at a Type and its years, which you can confirm against the quick-reference below or the full type study.
The Flowchart
Each of the four panels covers one starting point, running from its top question down to a Type and its years.
Printable Field Card
The field card is a pocket version for checking planes away from a screen, with the flowchart on the front and the Type quick-reference on the back.
Type Quick-Reference
Each of the twenty Types is listed with its years and the one feature that pins it down, colored by era from the early Boston planes to the blue ones at the end.
“BAILEY, WOODS & CO. BOSTON” on the nut; banjo-shaped spring; no model # on bed
Rectangular lever-cap spring (not banjo); “BAILEY’S PATENT” on the nut
Recessed lever-cap back; small frog on a vertical rib; recessed brass nut
Broad rectangular frog receiver; flat-head frog screws
First lateral-adjustment lever; model number cast on the toe
Two-piece disk lateral; left-hand-thread nut; iron hole at the cutting edge
“S” casting marks; Bailey name & patent dates gone from the nut
“B” casting mark; single patent date on the lateral lever
Ribbed frog receiver with two bosses; dates behind frog; no frog screw
Frog-adjustment screw added (from Bed Rock); four-line iron logo
V-shaped trademark on the iron; “APR-19-10” cast behind the frog
Tall high knob; Sweetheart (heart S.W.) logo; 1¼″ depth nut
“STANLEY” in a notched rectangle on the lever cap
“MADE IN U.S.A.” at the toe; raised ring cast as the knob seat
“MADE IN U.S.A.” behind the frog; “BAILEY” behind the knob
Kidney-shaped lever-cap hole; ogee frog back; ribs at toe & heel
Wartime: steel or hard-rubber nut; red-stained or painted hardwood; heavy castings
Brass nut returns with diagonal knurling; lighter castings; painted handles
“STANLEY” incised vertically on the lateral lever; Y-shaped frog receiver
Blue-painted castings; one-piece lateral lever; no “STANLEY” on it
Frequently Asked
How do I date a Stanley Bailey bench plane?+
Count the patent dates cast into the bed behind the frog, ignoring "MADE IN U.S.A." That count sets your branch of the flowchart, and a few checks on the lever cap, frog, and lateral lever resolve it to a Type from 1 to 20 with its years.
What do the patent dates behind the frog tell me?+
The count is the fastest first cut. No dates puts the plane either early (before 1885) or late (1931 on), while one, two, or three dates each fall in a tight window between about 1902 and 1930. That is why the flowchart begins there.
Can I print the Stanley dating flowchart?+
Yes, the field card is a free US-Letter PDF that prints two-sided and folds into quarters, with the flowchart on the front and the Type quick-reference on the back. The black-and-white design stays clear on any printer.
Is there an interactive version?+
Yes, the step-by-step identifier asks the same questions one at a time and shows photos as you go; the flowchart is its short, printable form.