I would start with a vintage stanley no.4, its a good size and if you are careful you can do pretty much anything with it. The number on the plane is just a numbering system made popular by stanley correlating to the length of the plane. a no.1 would be the very shortest plane and a no.8 would be the longest. Other joinery planes have specialty numbers but that's a whole different topic..
The key to good planing is having a very sharp blade. Any pre ~1970 stanley plane will almost for sure be an excellent user. Maker sure you keep some budget for sharpening stuff though.
The "type" is a way of dating the planes. As production went on, things were changed and these changes led to "type". Details here. I agree with the #4 being a good place to start although my favorite is a #5. Be careful, planes can be quite an obsession.
I disagree, if this is your first plane you do not need the added burden of tuning a used plane. Once you have mastered using a plane and know how one should work then if you wish go for a pre-type 13 Stanley in whatever size you need.
A good place to start is with a new #5. A Woodriver #5 will cost about the same and may be slightly cheaper than an old Stanley with a new iron and chip breaker and will more than likely be ready to go out of the box. The Lee Valley #5 is a great plane and is equal to a Lie Nelson #5 but costs a little less. If you are sure using hand planes is what you want to do, go for the LN….there is an old saying that is very true: "A rich man buys once, a poor man many times". In the long run it is cheaper to buy the best first.
BTW, I like the old Stanleys, they are lighter than the new Bedrock clones and work just as well but it is a high hurdle to clear to learn to use a plane while learning to restore one to usable condition.
I would skip e-bay for your first plane. Bubba is correct, if your first one needs tuned, it can quickly get you out of hand planes. A better approach (for the first one) would be to buy one from one of the many guru's that fix these things up and then sell them on forums such as these. Pick an established/known member and buy from them. Prices vary due to a number of factors, but a good #4 Bailey user should be less (maybe a lot less) than $100 (a Bedrock will be quite a bit higher). There is a fellow named tablesawtom that frequents Woodnet and Family Woodworking that has some very nice planes for sale regularly. He is a machinist and sells his after he grinds the sole flat, and the sides at 90º, he also flattens the back of the iron so all they need is sharpening and you have a first class plane. Be patient and you can get a real deal.
You might also check Timetestedtools here on LJ. DonW does a very good job on vintage planes.
( Well, I HAVE been known to do a few myself…..)
But, go check out DonW's site.
Decent Block plane
Decent 9-10" long #4 Smooth plane, with a 2" wide cutter
Decent 14" long #5 Jack planes, one with the same straight edged cutter as the #4, and an iron that has a curved edge (called Camber)
The #6 (about 18" long) as a smaller jointer, or a 22" long #7 Jointer, Both use a 2-3/8" wide cutter. More for edges, or flattening large panels
Then the BIG guy. #8 is 24" long, with an iron that is 2-5/8" wide. Weighs about 10 pounds or so. Long jointer.
I think it should be a low angle block plane. Next a jack then smooth. If you are not going to dedicate wood shaping using planes, I would stop with the jack plane. I have a jointer plane I bought at a garage sale and never use it. I prefer a power saw and jointer/planer.
Get a block plane, something like a pre-WWII 60 ½, and a good sharpening system. That's a good start.
Bench planes are a system and one plane won't get you far. For most hand stock preparation the lion's share of the work is done with a jack plane or a fore plane followed by a trying plane to true the surface. The goal with these should be to avoid needing a smooth plane to clean up localized problems. The smooth plane, being significantly shorter will introduce irregularities in straightness or flatness. At times these irregularities are necessary to remove a flaw and spread its depth over a bigger area but you should make an effort to avoid this as much as possible. The trying plane will leave the truest surface unless you're working on something like a long edge where a jointer is usesful.
There is a great article on the Lie Nielsen low angle jack plane in Fine Woodworking magazine, and it talks about how this plane can do just about anything you need… They describe getting a couple of extra irons and getting different bevel angles for different operations.
I bought this plane, it is a dream to use IF you know how to sharpen well, but that goes for any plane of chisel. I think there is a youtube video of someone running it through its paces….
I'd get a block plane. Lower cost, handy and fairly simple to tune and use. I use my 4 1/2 more than any other plane but that's because my block plane isn't very nice otherwise I'd use the block plane more.
You can get a well tuned/sharpened Stanley #4 for $50 or less (plus shipping) from any of several people here that sell planes. I'd offer one myself, but my shop is "under construction" right now and I couldn't get one ready for you. Another option would be to try to find someone local that has some planes and would let you come over and "test drive" some. If you're near Albany, NY, you're welcome to come over and try some of mine. As for what plane to start with, it depends very much on what you want to do with it.
As stated if you're just starting out a well tuned #4 size plane. It will do just about anything, additional planes in different sizes will just make things easier.
FYI a #4 size is generally 9 inches long the blade is 2" wide making an overall tool width of approximately 2 1/2 inches.
There are a lot of recommendations floating around for your first 2 or 3 hand planes, but usually they include a low-angle block plane, a #4 or #5 (or #4-1/2), and some third type that will be heavily dependent on what you plan to build. Usually this third recommendation is either a shoulder plane or a router plane.
I've also seen recommendations for a rabbet block plane or bevel-up jack plane
I had pretty much settled on a Lie-Nielsen low-angle block plane, Lie Nielsen or Lee Valley #4 or #5, and Lee Valley router plane and was about to drop around $160 on an adjustable-mouth Lie-Nielsen low-angle block plane as my first hand plane; but then I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a small set of 4 planes in a case for $50 at the pawn shop. They looked like they were well cared for, although one does have some minor cracks starting to form around the mouth. At some point I'll probably still buy the LN plane, but for now I'll practice with my cheap planes.
Keep in mind that no matter what you get, you'll also have to spend money for sharpening equipment. Right after I bought my planes, I spent another $100 or so on diamond plates and honing compound to sharpen them.
Lots of good advise above. Especially knowing what you want to use a plane for… 2 cents
Easing Edges, Planing small parts
Agree an adjustable mouth low angle block plane (Stanley 60 1/2 or Stanley 65) would be preferred. However a standard angle block plane could be substituted. Stanley models would be a 9 1/2 or an 18.
For basic stock prep…
Smoothing plane to finish boards #3, #4, #41/2 #5 1/2 depending on your hand size, overall size preference, and weight preference
Jointing plane to straighten boards #7 or #8 based on weight preference
Working with Rough stock Scrub Plane #40, Jack Plane #5 or Fore Plane #6 depending on your preference for weight and size.
Joint Work
Shoulder Plane - lots of choices
Router Plane - lots of choices
Rabbet Block Plane or Skew Block Plane
Grooving
Combination plane such as a Stanley 45, 46, 50 or 55. Record 043/044 recommended for simple grooving.
Shooting Board Use
Stanley 5 1/2
Low angle Jack such as a Stanley or LN 62.
Miter Plane - Expensive
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