Originally Posted by
dubrosa22
Not much info out there on the English Stanley planes. The above link seems to summarise the basic UK types well enough:
Type 1. 1937-39 Rosewood w/brass nuts
Type 2. 1939-45 Beech w/hard rubber nuts.
Type 3. 1945-72 Steel adjusting nuts.
(NB: adjusting nuts went from brass to steel to brass and back in this period. Blade tops changed to rounded at some time C1960s Y-levers went from cast to two-piece stamped and back to cast again at this time)
Type 4. 1972-83 Bed ribs
Type 5. 1983-85 G12-00X series
Type 6. 1985-2008 plastic handled
Type 7. 2008-present New SW planes bodies made in Mexico. Nos 265-11213 series: No 4 smoother, 62 low angle jack, 92 shoulder, 9 1/2 block, 60 1/2 low angle block.
But I would add that prior to the G12-00x period (1983) there were black plastic handles and front knobs. I've recently owned at least three of them (still have the No. 5) ...