1936–1958
STANLEY No. 248, slitting plane for weatherstripping grooves
The Stanley Works · United States
Item passport
- Maker
- The Stanley Works
- Country
- United States
- Dating
- Mid 20th century; reference literature gives roughly 1936–1943 for the No. 248 and 1939–1958 for the 248A. The exact date of this body is not established.
- Condition
- Carefully restored, assembled, sharpened and fully functional; tested in use. The body was cleaned of surface dirt with 100% alcohol; the original black factory finish is…
Specialised metal plane Stanley No. 248 (The Stanley Works, USA) for hand-cutting narrow grooves, chiefly for metal weatherstripping on wooden windows and doors. Cast metal body with handle, an interchangeable narrow cutter, adjusting parts, a depth stop and…
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Specialised metal plane Stanley No. 248 (The Stanley Works, USA) for hand-cutting narrow grooves, chiefly for metal weatherstripping on wooden windows and doors. Cast metal body with handle, an interchangeable narrow cutter, adjusting parts, a depth stop and a fence on parallel rods. Cast marks "STANLEY" and "No. 248"; the cutters are stamped "STANLEY / MADE IN U.S.A.". The collection holds five original Stanley cutters: 1/8″ (3.18 mm), 3/16″ (4.76 mm), 7/32″ (5.56 mm), 5/16″ (7.94 mm) and 3/8″ (9.53 mm). One cutter came with the plane; four more were bought separately in the USA. This is an extended working set but not the full seven-cutter set attributed to the 248A.
Dating. Mid 20th century; reference literature gives roughly 1936–1943 for the No. 248 and 1939–1958 for the 248A. The exact date of this body is not established.
Marks and stamps
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documented
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documented
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documented
Restoration
Original finish and markings were left in place; the missing functional parts were replaced with original period parts (4 Stanley cutters and 4 rods: 2 threaded, 2 plain). Priority was given to surface authenticity and restoring practical use.
Sources
Research status
Confirmed by the owner photographs and messages: model and markings, five cutter sizes, preserved finish, working condition, supplier and cost of the bought parts. From the owner memory: the purchase price in Israel (about 60 ILS). Estimated: the period of manufacture and the market value. The original factory set of this body is unknown. Parts were bought from Michael Jenks (Just Plain Fun, USA): 4 cutters for 64 USD (16 USD each), 4 rods for 25 USD, 89 USD in total excluding shipping; the Messenger correspondence and photos are kept by the owner. The 1941 Stanley catalogue figures of 4.60 USD (No. 248) and 5.90 USD (248A) are given as historical reference and must be checked against a facsimile of the specific edition.
Purchase and price
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