So you want to start collecting hand planes. Let me start by saying you don’t just collect one or two, it is perhaps one of the most addictive hobbies out there. I originally wanted to just get the 1203, 1204, and 1205, and now I have only two more planes to complete this set. I would suggest that you read this article completely so you know just you’re getting into with these planes.
Starting between 1926 and 1929 Stanley applied the already owned name of “Defiance” to a new line of less expensive, quality tools that was geared towards the homeowners and farmers. This new line included a wide variety tools besides hand planes such as screwdrivers, chisels, wrenches, levels, hammers, and more. I am always doing research and finding more and more tools each time I make a dive down the rabbit hole.
For the purpose of this primer, we will be focusing on the hand planes. As of this writing there are at least 19 planes and block planes in this line. There are two of them that are perhaps the rarest of the Defiance line and their rarity rivals that of some of the highly collectible main line Stanley planes.
What follows here is a listing of the planes, along with their dimensions. These dimensions are a good place to start when examining the planes to help identify them HOWEVER, there’s always a however. I recently posted an article about shrinkage that can affect these dimensions. You can read about it here: https://idlehandsworkshop.info/the-stanley-1-fake-and-a-note-on-shrinkage/.
- Defiance 1202 – 7.5″ length 1 3/4″ Iron ( Usually labeled ECLIPSE but not always )
- Defiance 1203 – 8″ length 1 3/4″ Iron
- Defiance 1203C* – 8″ Length 1 3/4″ Iron ( Only made in 1933 )
- Defiance 1204 – 9″ Length 2″ Iron
- Defiance 1204C– 9 1/4″ Length 2″ Iron Corrugated Sole
- Defiance 1205 – 14″ Length 2″ Iron
- Defiance 1205C – 14″ Length 2″ Iron Corrugated Sole only made in 1933
- Defiance 1213 – 9″ length 1 5/8″ Iron – Integral Frog
- Defiance 1213 1/2 – 9 1/4″ Length 1 3/4″ Iron – Integral Frog
- Defiance 1220 Block Plane – 7″ Length 1 5/8″ Iron
- Defiance 1243 – 8 1/4″ Length 1 3/4″ Iron – Integral Frog
- Defiance 1244 – 9 1/4″ Length 1 13/16″ Iron – Integral Frog
- Defiance 1245 – 14″ Length 2″ Iron – Integral Frog
- Defiance 205/1245 Block Plane – 6 1/4″ long 1 7/16″ Iron – Folded Body (1927 – 1935 )
- Defiance 1247 Block Plane – 6 1/2″ Length 1 5/8″ Iron
- Defiance 1247c* Block Plane – 6 1/2″ Length 1 5/8″ Iron
- Defiance 1248 Low Angle Block Plane – 7″ Length 1 5/16″ Iron ( 1934 – 1941 )
- Defiance 1248 Low Angle Block Plane – 5 1/2″ Length 1 3/8″ Iron ( 1951 )
- Defiance 1248A Block Plane – 6 5/8″ Length 1 3/4″ Iron ( 1934 – 1941 )
- * “Cadmium plated iron frame “c” – Corrugated Frame “C”Listings above referenced from “John Walter – Antique Collectible Stanley Tools”
Kicking off the list you’ll note the Defiance 1202, sometimes referred to as the Eclipse 1202. Not a lot is known about this plane and there’s even speculation that it was never made. There are very pictures available, and even less actual research material available. In all my research dives I keep coming back to the same set of pictures on Flickr. I have yet to locate any reference to it in vintage catalog listings and have never come across one offered for sale or in auctions/estate sales. It’s hard to really say whether it exists or not. I would like to think that Stanley did actually make this plane and it would make sense to follow along with the mainline planes starting with the No. 2 up to the No. 5’s. But until I have one in my hands, I’ll treat this one as a unicorn.
Coming up next in the lineup is a group of seven planes that do follow the sizing of the mainline Stanley planes and are numbered 1203, 1203c, 1204, 1204c, 1205, and 1205c. These seven planes should be considered the core of the Defiance plane collection. These seemed to be available through the duration of the Defiance line. This is also a good place to start when collecting them as they make very nice users if that’s what you’re going for.
When collecting the Defiance planes the prices vary depending on condition which seems to be the only really deciding factor on the value of them. Since these planes were not made to the standards of regular Stanley planes, the condition of them is all they really have going for them. You can pick up some rusty but salvageable one anywhere from $5-$30 for the basic flat bottom planes. The three corrugated planes can go for up to $50 give or take a bit. This is what makes the Defiance line desirable amongst some of the newer collectors looking to get their feet wet with a plane that is still decent to use. The seven planes are still pretty easy to find on sites like eBay but expect the corrugated ones to cost a bit more if you can find them, they don’t come up very up often but they are still available.
At some point in the 40’s it seems that Stanley wanted to try some new things with the Defiance planes and they created the 1243, 1244, and 1245 planes. These were characterized by a lever cap that had cross hatching on it. There was no frog and no lateral adjuster on these planes either. These were often listed in the catalogs as non-adjustable planes.
There are two other planes that seem to have been created as a test by Stanley and these are the 1213 and 1213 1/2. Both of these planes are very hard to come by and they are both characterized by the lack of a frog like the 124x series but what really differentiates these two planes is the level cap and the lack of a chip breaker. The 1213 has a lever cap that features a screw that presses the lever cap against a cross rod on the bed of the plane and tightened in place by use of the thumb screw. The 1213 1/2 is even more odd in that the level cap has several notches across it that allows the cap to be adjusted similar to a chip breaker. The lever cap is also more like that of the other Defiance planes except for what’s noted above. The cutters on both of these planes resembles more what you would see on a block plane. While I have been able to acquire a 1213 and locate it in some catalogs, the 1213 1/2 is not listed anywhere that I have found and is not even listed in the collector’s guide: “The Stanley Plane: A History And Descriptive Inventory by Alvin Sellens”. This plane was only made from 1929-1932 making it an even harder plane to find.
One more real oddity in the Defiance line has to be the No. 205, also listed as the 1245 ( which does in fact make things confusing ). The 205 was originally only offered in a tool chest geared towards children and is a small little pressed steel block plane with a single screw on top that holds the cutter in place. While many view this as a piece of junk, which by plane standards I can understand, it can still be setup and used much like any other block plane. Prices for these range from $5.00 up to $40.00 depending on condition and where you are able to find them. I picked mine up from a gentleman on Facebook in one of the Stanley Collector’s groups for $20 and it was in just the condition I liked to be able to clean up and restore as a user.
So with the hand planes themselves all listed, the block planes come next and this is where some things can get really confusing.
If you follow the sequential order the first one up is the aforementioned 205/1245 made from 1927 to 1935. Following that is a pair of planes that are exactly the same, the 1247, however, there is a 1247c that featured a cadmium plated iron frame. These cadmium plated ones are a bit hard to find as most of them seem to have been used so much the cadmium has been worn away. If you do find one that is New Old Stock or just well taken care of, you can tell right away because of the yellowing tinge the cadmium gives the metal.
Coming up next is the 1248’s, note the plural. The original 1248 is a low angled block plane measuring 7 inches long and was made from 1934 to 1941. There is also the 1248A block plane with a 6 5/8″ length made from 1934 to 1941, this one however is not a low angle plane. Finally, to add more confusion to the 1248’s is an additional low angled block plane measuring 5 1/2 inches long and only made in 1951.
That covers all of the hand planes that I have discovered in the Defiance line. Now why are these planes considered trash by some of the snotty “I only collect Sweetheart planes”? Typically it is based simply on the quality of the planes.
The Defiance line of planes is quite readily identified when placed side by side of a main line Stanley plane. Whereas the main line planes tend to have nice and smooth castings, the Defiance line is rough when it comes to the castings. One theory I had for this was that instead of making all new molds and such to create this line, they just kept using the old molds which over time had become unsuitable for making main line planes but were a perfect alternative for lines like the Victor, Defiance, Handyman, and Two… scuse me, Two-To… can’t say it…..deep breath, Two-Tone lines.
To get these planes into working shape it may be necessary to take them and smooth them out yourself although I have a couple of planes from this line that I use frequently and haven’t bothered to clean up the castings or do any upgrades to them. Once I get them cleaned up and painted, I use them with little to no problems. These planes are also a good place to start if you’re wanting to get into restoration because they’re still relatively cheap to get a hold of so if you mess up, it’s really not the end of the world. The main parts that need the most work usually are the sole of the plane itself, the frog and the seat for the frog as they are just roughly machined and do not offer that smooth contact you find in the higher quality planes. The cutters and chip breakers are perhaps the best and easiest parts of these planes to clean. If you don’t want to bother cleaning them you can always purchase a main line Stanley cutter of the same size and plop it in.
So where can you find them? Honestly the easiest way is to get on eBay and search for “Stanley Defiance” and you’ll get a whole listing of the planes, parts, and additional Defiance tools. Etsy is another place to check. By far the best places I have found to get these is at flea markets/malls. With these planes being so far undervalued in my opinion, it’s easy to score a couple for less than $10.00 at a flea market. BUT DO YOUR RESEARCH FIRST !!!! Do not just go buy a plane off eBay because the title and description say it’s a Defiance, these planes can easily be confused with other manufacturers and although they look almost identical and work just as well, there are things you can look for that will ensure you’re getting a Defiance plane.
When it comes to research, the first place you should go is over to Time Tested Tools where there is a rather lengthy collection of pictures for each of the planes. Check that site out here: https://www.timetestedtools.net/2016/01/27/stanley-defiance-line/
So aside from doing some research and getting an idea of what it is you’re looking for, there are some notable things about the Defiance line:
- Totes – Some but not all of the totes on these planes have the “DEFIANCE by Stanley” engraved in them, sometimes with gold lettering.
- Cutters/Irons/Blades – Typically they are just marked “MADE IN THE USA” but there are a lot of them that also have a mix of just “DEFIANCE” or “DEFIANCE 12XX” where the XX would be the rest of the model number. This is an area I am working on now, is getting matching cutters for my planes. Something else to mention is something called “chopped cutters or irons” which happen at the manufacturer where they simple chop the top off if the iron and stamp DEFIANCE vertically on the left side of the iron if you look at it from the front. This was done to make the most out of overstock.
- Japaning – The Defiance line had undergone several finishes during its life to include the typical Japaning finish to the later models which featured a grayish colour for the plane body and black painted knob and tote. There are also some you will find with a rich red stain applied to the tote and knob. Some of these however might be Eclipse planes, which the Eclipse planes are just Defiance planes sold by Montgomery Wards.
- Plane Bodies – Typically you will not find any markings on the bodies aside from part stamps. The majority of them just seem to be plain with a few of them having the “MADE IN USA” either in front of or right behind the knob. The bodies also will be rougher looking compared to main line planes.
- Location – If you are at a tool meet or flea market, you will most likely find these planes in parts bins, $5.00 bins, etc.. As I said earlier, they are collectible, just not Stanley No. 2 collectible.
Whether you just getting started with hand planes, or just looking for a hand plane to help you get started wood working, the Defiance line of planes would be a fair place to start if you’re on a budget. The best piece of advice I can give for those who have a Defiance plane and want to set it up right is to go watch some videos on YouTube. There is an ever growing collection of “How To’s” on there to help get you started restoring, cleaning, or setting up your plane to use. With a nice broad selection of planes available in this line you should easily be able to get the ones you need to start off wood working and I would honestly suggest you get at least one before you go hog wild collecting some of the higher end main line Stanley planes.
So there you have it folks, this is my rough primer on the Defiance by Stanley line of hand planes. I may add more to this in the future as I do more research because I believe there may still be some out there I haven’t seen or heard of before. This is how I learned about the 205/1245, was researching one night, came across that, did some more research and then bought one. Below is a picture of SOME of my Defiance planes painted up in the later style with the grayish body and the black handles, they also have my reproduction sticker on them. I have several more planes in this line I need to get out to the shop and clean up and restore.
I hope you find this useful and informative and I wish you the best of luck should you decide to start collecting this line of planes from Stanley.