# The Stanley "Two-Tone" Line, Planes and Other Tools



## 33706

Lest we forget, in our research in all the different 'Types' of handplanes, and the as-yet to be agreed upon Type 21 and Type 22 planes, there's more work to do.

The Stanley "Two Tone" line was a series that ran concurrent with other types from the '50s to 60's and possibly as late as the 1970s. They were somewhat similar to the standard Stanley planes, but with cheaper features and marketed in department stores and other non-traditional retailers.

I don't know a lot about this line of planes, and indeed there are other Stanley tools manufactured with the "Two Tone" name, such as bit braces, chisels and screwdrivers. Did the bizarre color schemes make them more attractive to John Q Homeowner? I've noticed that none have any logo cast into the lever cap, but all of them have "TWO TONE" 'by Stanley' ..stamped on the cutter. Discuss!

I'd like for this thread to be a place to post your own pics of Stanley Two-Tone tools literature and other information.

I'll see what, if any Two Tone planes reside in my collection. With apologies to the eBay vendors who have a current listing for Two-Tone tools, I've borrowed some photos.














































Here's the one-and-only Two-Tone from my collection, an all USA #4 with gray sole and royal blue chipper:










All relevant comments are welcome!


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## 33706

some more images of Two Tone planes. Looks like Google already scraped the images I borrowed from eBay above, so I don't feel guilty now.


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## Loren

What words are on the sole casting?


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## 33706

Loren, Thanks for asking!
On my #4-sized Two Tone: The sole has only the words "Made In USA" raised, behind the front knob.
The back of the lever cap has "C 116" incised into the casting.
Also, the frog is cast iron. So is the yoke, a one piece casting. The cutter, in addition to the 'Two Tone' by Stanley, it also says 'Made in USA' Single 90-degree twist on the lat lever, with an applied washer that engages the cutter.
Otherwise, a pretty generic example of a late-model Stanley plane.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Never seen these before!


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## bandit571

Bertha HATES a Tu-Tone plane…..

Had one go through the shop awhile back…..meh. Along with a couple Victors. Trying to stay clear of them Handyman thingys, too.

After all, I do have a "style" to collect right now









Says the guy with a West German Dunlap ( York pitch), a Corsair C-5 Scrubber Jack, and a Parplus 13" long Jack plane.


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## 33706

*@Smitty:* Kinda makes one wonder how Roger K Smith managed to bring PTAMPIA to its final conclusion!!!

those Two-Tones walk among us, sir!

*Bandit:* Ya gotta admit, the Two Tones are definitely a step above the Handymans…'cept for the scraper-thin cutters!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

Poor ole' Handymans get no respect at all. The Rodney Dangerfield of hand tools…


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## donwilwol

I think I have a t tone block hanging in the shop.


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## upchuck

poopiekat-

Got any comments about the blade quality of the Two-Tone compared to a Stanley/Bailey?

chuck


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## 33706

I'm no authority, but I think we can conclude that Stanley resorted to the 'shotgun' approach, to make a plane for every price point, and target every customer. Marketing being what it is, Stanley flooded every strata of retail so that every potential buyer, from the seasoned woodworker to Aunt Tillie buying a gewgah for Grampa's birthday.

How else can we explain cheep planes at S.S. Kresge's, and S&H redemption centers as well? What other way could Stanley exert its dominance in the ever-broadening sector of plane buyers? The do-it-yourself craze among homeowners post-WWII? This has to account for the "Handyman line, The Two-tones, Victors, Four-Squares as well as those Heinz 57 blue-gray mutant mongrels. Stanley had a better strategy, which is why they survived when everybody else threw in the towel.

Now, it's up to us to reverse-engineer the sequence of all these various iterations. If only somebody had an inside track, with production figures and model history, wowww that would be cool!


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## CFrye

I have a few of these. Following along, PK.


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## 33706

Thanks for responding, *Candy!* Any insights you can provide will be of great value. I am certain that nobody is trying to pull "Two-Tone" info together into a coherent chronological study, and it's high time somebody undertook the task.

I regret now, passing over so many Two-Tones at yard sales and flea markets, just mentally lumping them together with the infamous Handymans. I'm really intrigued now, and covet all Two-Tones, Cordovans and other late model planes, er at least the types I don't already have a boatload of. For no worthwhile reason, I now want a mint set of both the Two Tones AND Cordovans.


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## MikeUT

Do these Two-Tone planes follow some sort of numbering system? I have a clunky little block plane that was included in a lot of nicer planes in an auction a few months ago. I haven't done anything with it, I haven't even taken a photo which is usually the first thing I do when I get a new old tool. It looks like a No 102 clone but the only markings it has are 'C2' and 'Made in the USA.' It is painted gray with a little black wood knob. I guess that doesn't really count as two-tone but your response to Loren above with the 'Made in the USA' and Cxxx reminded me about this little guy. Do you think it is in the same series or would you consider it separate?


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## ksSlim

These planes were produced as an advertising gimmick for the National Hardware Conventions in 1940/41 and again in 1950/51.
They are basic bench and block planes with a bright colour finish. Many different colour combinations are recorded. Cutters are marked Stanley Two-Tone. I guess somebody collects them but none of the OH collectors seem to be on my customer list! These planes are hard to sell, even pristine examples will hardly bring as much as a normal plane - maybe because they look like somebody randomly painted an otherwise perfectly good plane! Model numbers with pre-fix OH were 4, 5 and 20

Hans Brunner tools


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## donwilwol

Two-tone, the 1940/41 have Stanley "Two Tone - Made in USA" on the cutter, The 1950-51 planes have "Two Tone by Stanley" in script.


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## ksSlim

Thanks Don.
I can now add that to the short description I was able to uncover.


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## 33706

Yeah, Google searches don't yield much info, but it's good to know of its genesis as a promotional item for national shows!
Still, the documentation has gotta be out there, somewhere. It's got a pedigree all its own!!


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## WillliamMSP

I picked up a brace today that was packaged with a plane - I was mainly interested in the brace and bits but figured I could use the jack as a hogger if nothing else. After taking a little rust off of the blade, I came across a "Stanley Two Tone" stamp on the blade. Cleaning off the dust and crud revealed a red frog and chip breaker and a gray/blue body. Still needs a some more cleaning, but this is as she sits -










The blade seems thin and the adjustment wheel is kinda chintzy, but other than that it seems fine.


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## 33706

*William,*
Thanks for sharing your Two-Tone acquisition with us! A gray sole with red other details. Nice color combination!

One thing I've noticed on the lesser-quality Stanley lines is the swoopy cast iron web ahead of the cutter slot. It's quite visible on William's plane, and fairly consistent with the 4-Square, and Cordovan planes, also some Victors.

It will take some research to establish whether this is a universal characteristic or just certain years, certain foundries, or wherever the truth is hiding! The research continues…


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## Texcaster

I don't have any of those but thanks for posting. I find out a bit more every day.


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## CO_Goose

Hi, Thanks for the information on the Two-Tone Planes, I'll add mine to the list. What I have is a #4 size that from the earlier explanation must be one of the 1950-51 given the writing on the blade. This is the "as-found" condition of the plane, the person that I bought it from had it for many years, and had got it from another woodworker when he passed, so I really have no history on it. If you look close there is a little yellow on the side of the blade, and the frog casting is black, and unfortunately, I cannot be sure that it wasn't changed along the way. 
I have done nothing to this plane other than to wipe off the dust, and adjust the blade, but even in this condition it works very well, and I am sure a proper sharpening would make it even better.


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## 33706

Thanks for sharing, *Co_Goose!
*This is a color combination I'd never seen before, yet it is still quintessential Two-Tone!
Once again, it features that 'swoopy' cast iron web behind the knob, a trait specific to the economy lines of Stanley planes. Yours shows its pedigree well. A great find!


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## DLK

I just acquired this:










Its a Miller Falls 57 with a Stanley blade and a yellow lever cap from I presume a Stanley two-tone.

I am not sure what to do. Keep it as is? Replace the blade and Lever Cap. Sole searching. Advice please.


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## 33706

Hi Don K!
Unless you were building a set of Miller's Falls planes, I wouldn't put too much effort into restoring your plane. If it works well, I'd run with it just the way it is. It appears somebody loved this plane and kept it going with scavenged parts, rather than give up on it! I like the look of old, well-used tools that have been around the block (heh) a few times, and I prefer those to shiny, fussy new planes that don't perform half as well. Just my opinion, of course. Try it, and see if it grows on you, Don.


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## DLK

O.K. but what I am doing is building a set of Miller Falls. The idea is when I retire I expect to need a traveling tool chest and I though I'd make it all (or almost all) Miller Falls tools. That and well I like them. But I will take your adice until I find the right parts.

I found a nice looking one so I ebay ordered it. I need three so I can move the "yellow" onto a different body.


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## Aidan1211

Ive got one up right now.

http://cdn3.bigcommerce.com/s-yx7y3qlfef/products/150/images/142/IMG_0226__55979.1469049971.1280.1280.jpg?c=2


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## DLK

Aidan I don't know it that was meant for me. But what I need is a two-tone block plane missing the lever cap and a lever cap for a Miller falls 17.


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## Aidan1211

No it wasn't directed at you. I might have the 17 lever cap I have a huge amount of Millers Falls here so if I don't have one soon. The two tones I only have the one No 4 that came as part of a take it all or nothing deal. Pm me with pictures of your 17 and Ill see if have the right type for you.


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## Aidan1211

As a Millers Falls collector there are quite a few of those buggers that are hard to find and when you do your pockets will get turned inside out. I buy every Millers Falls plane I come across even the roaches ( Never know if you are gonna need parts)


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## DLK

I don't know how to p.m. pictures.


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## Aidan1211

You can email them to me as well. PM me and I'll give you my email.


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## Sedge

Looks like a dead thread, but if anyone is interested there is a C 74 1/2 Two Tone for sale on Etsy now for $43


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## therealSteveN

I have some 2 tone in the shop, buried deep.

No Handyman love here?

My Wife was looking at a pile of planes once a long time ago, and liked the block planes the most, she wanted a few for a display cabinet, so I gave her these. The dark blue one is a 2 tone, it's box has an original price tag. $2.29. The grey one is a the Ugly Duckling.


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