Somewhere way back in the thread I remember saying something about maintaining my collection of planes only temporarily and preserving them for a time when at some point they’d be scattered around to other hand plane enthusiasts and probably a few collectors. The plane I’ll feature today is one of those examples that has resided in various collections for decades. Next month I’ll have owned this plane for twenty one years. I (collector #4) bought it from a collector (#3) who owned it for approximately fifteen years. He (#3) bought it from a collector (#2) as well (who I had also known and bought a few planes from in the past). He (#2) bought from another collector (#1) who I never knew. I can sort of trace the plane’s ownership history to roughly the 1960s. I have no idea where it was or who owned it prior to that time. Looking only at the trade mark on the iron, which Stanley used between 1912 and 1918, there’s about thirty to forty years that I can’t account for. Still, by the looks of things, I think it’s safe to say that the plane saw little or no use whatsoever. My guess is that when the time comes, another collector(#5) will end up with it.
Stanley #9:
Believe it or not, the #9 is a block plane. It very clearly does not resemble any of the block planes that we’ve covered earlier in the thread, but it is a block plane. Like a traditional looking block plane, the cutting iron is seated bevel side up at about twenty degrees. Although the earliest versions of the #9 did not have an adjustable throat (prior to 1912), almost every #9 that I’ve seen has one. The #9 was made to be a precision tool, marketed to cabinet and piano makers. If you’re familiar with the H.O. Studley (piano maker) tool cabinet, then you might recall that he had what looked to be well used #9 in his arsenal of tools.
I seem to recall reading that the #9 was Stanley’s first block plane offering having been produced in some form between 1867 and 1943. That’s about seventy six years. There may have been a brief period that the #9 was out of production, but generally speaking, Stanley was committed to this tool. It was designed to compete with British infilled miter planes. With both sides of the main body ground dead flat and at ninety degrees to the sole, the #9 was capable of producing extremely accurate results particularly when used with a shooting board. For years it came with a handle or palm rest that could be mounted on either side of the plane. With the handle mounted on the side of the plane and held in place with a set screw, it created a perfect place to put one’s hand, particularity right beneath the fat pad of the thumb. This provided the user with a way to really guide the plane through the cut while his/her other hand grasped the squirrel tail handle and pushed from the rear. The side mounted handle is often referred to as the “hot dog” handle because it does resemble a hot dog. Real hot dog handles were castings, so they’re hollow inside. Beware of reproduction hot dog handles which are usually manufactured from solid bar stock. They are not hollow inside. If you’re thinking about adding a #9 to your collection, don’t make the mistake of just assuming that the hot dogs handle is factory original. Take the time to remove it and check to see if it’s hollow or solid. A real hot dog handle can easily cost a couple hundred dollars.
For whatever reason, my #9 did not come with the hot dog handle. Under magnification and bright lighting, I can’t see anything that would make me think there ever was a hot dog handle on this plane. I would expect at least a small indentation on the plane’s side from a tightened set screw or some sort of discoloration/shadow on the body casting where the hot dog handle may have once been located. Still, it’s one of those parts that once separated from the plane, is likely to be lost forever. Prior to the late 1880s, none of the catalogs depict the #9 with the hot dog handle. The plane depicted below, if relying only on the logo on the cutting iron, was likely manufactured between 1912 and 1918. Based on that information, I think the plane probably left the factory with a hot dog handle and somewhere along the line, it was separated from the plane.
Based on the reference materials that I have on hand, the #9 initially measured ten inches long and remained that long until 1936 when they were shortened to 8 1/4 inches. Now this is a tough plane to acquire, and I’ll admit that I haven’t seen or examined that many in person. But of the handful I have had the chance to see and hold in my hands I have never come across one that’s 8 1/4 inches long. Not a single one. What I have consistently seen is that the #9 planes were just a tad short of 9 1/4 inches long. I almost think the plane’s length was accidentally misstated at 8 1/4 inches long and it perpetuated from one catalog to the next finally becoming “fact.” Mine measures 9 3/16 inches long. If you have a #9 or have access to one, please measure it for me. I’d be interested in knowing its length.
As useful as this plane may be, it’s also very fragile and prone to cracking. The squirrel tail handle at the rear of the plane screws directly into the main body casting. You know where this is going. If the iron is just a little bit dull and set for anything less than a really light pass, it can dig into the work piece and with the force of the craftsperson pushing from behind create enough stress to crack the handle off the main body casting. As a collector, I don’t even want to think about it!! Yikes! The same goes for the adjustable throat screws located on the top and front of the plane. If over tightened the plane could crack. The point is this, if you are even considering a #9 for your collection examine it closely for hairline cracks. Like I’ve said so many times before, do your homework and know what you’re looking at. Getting it wrong could be an expensive mistake. I’m not trying to dissuade anyone from acquiring a #9, it’s a great plane. Just be really careful with it. A couple other things to remember… The Stanley #9 was never manufactured with the #9 anywhere on it. Also, the correct lever cap on a #9 has a neck that’s longer than those found on bench planes. In my next post, I’ll compare the #9 lever cap to a standard bench plane lever cap so you can see what I’m talking about.
Jim C.
