Hand planes, Stanley planes, infill planes & planemaking

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Stanley No. 57 Core Box Plane

Manufactured:	1896 to 1943
Length:	10 inches
Blade Width:	7/8 inches
Construction:	Cast iron, beech handle & knob
Finish:	Nickel plated
Features:	Additional side extensions (comes with 1 set)
Uses:	Cuts 1 inch to 5 inch semicircles
Average Dealer Price:	$300 to $600
Average eBay Price:	$280 to $560
Plane only, with no extensions:	$75 to $150
With 2 sets of extensions:	$500 to $1000
With 3 sets of extensions:	$1000 to $1800

Other Notes:

A small, general purpose bench plane best suited for one handed use (similar to a block plane). The last production type (Type 19) is one inch longer which increases the value $50 to $200 above the average price. Sweetheart versions (1920-1935) often reach higher prices, but not always

Updated:

12th March, 2006

Stanley No. 57 Core Box Planes on eBay right now…

Sources:

While many of the dealers prices for Stanley planes are largely set by John Walters’ book “Antique & Collectible Stanley Tools” it appears that eBay, while acknowledging the Walters guide somewhat, tends to march to it’s own beat and sets its own prices. For that reason – and the fact that eBay’s reach and customer base is huge – I’ve decided to include a separate eBay average price here. Other sources include: “The Antique Tool Collector’s Guide To Value” by Ronald S. Barlow, “Antique & Collectible Stanley Tools” by John Walter, “The Stanley Plane” by Alvin Sellens, “Patrick’s Blood & Gore” by Patrick Leach, various auctions and sales of collectable tools and my own compilations of prices realized, observations and notes over the past 20+ years.