Stanley · No. 3 · 1869–1984
The No. 3 is 8 inches long with a 1¾-inch iron, an inch shorter and a quarter inch narrower than the No. 4. Stanley made it from 1869 to 1984, and Patrick Leach calls it a very common smoother that some people prefer over the No. 4. Christopher Schwarz sizes the smaller smoothers for smaller work like narrow door stiles and rails. It follows the full Type Study, so you can date one from photos the same way as a No. 4, and Stanley sold a corrugated No. 3C from 1898 to 1970. Leach uses his No. 3 entry in Blood and Gore as the inspection guide for every Bailey plane, so the faults on this page apply across the line. Plenty were made, which means you can be choosy about the tote, the iron and the sole.
Identify and date it
Between the No. 2 and the No. 4, the No. 3 measures 8 inches with a 1¾-inch iron, so a tape measure settles any doubt. A No. 3C has lengthwise grooves in the sole, and the C isn't cast anywhere on the plane. Stanley's Bed Rock version is the No. 603, with a frog that seats along its full length and, on later ones, flat-topped sides.
Type Study sweet spot
Types 10–16 (about 1907–1941) have the features most users want.
Those Types have the frog adjusting screw and the 1902 frog seat with its alignment rib, and they still have rosewood handles and a brass depth nut. Date it like a No. 4 by counting the patent dates cast behind the frog, two for Types 9–10, three for Types 11–12 and one for Types 13–14. A raised ring around the knob base means Type 14 (1929) or later, and a kidney-shaped lever cap hole means Type 16 (1933) or later.
If you’ll use it
Pick a No. 3 if a No. 4 feels big in your hand or your work runs to narrow parts.
Cracks show up most on the arched sides and around the mouth, and the mouth chips. Leach also finds frogs snapped at the top where the lateral lever sits, tote horns sheared off, and pitting bad enough that the plane is a lost cause.
Buying guide
A complete No. 3 with a clean mouth and a whole tote asks about $40–60 delivered here, and many are WWII planes with hardwood handles in place of rosewood. About 100 are listed, and most complete ones ask $45–70 delivered. If you want Types 10–16 (about 1907–1941), which have the features most users want, count the patent dates behind the frog and check for the raised ring under the knob and the lever cap hole shape in the photos. Look at the frog top around the lateral lever, the tote horn and the mouth for breaks or cracks. Skip the parts plane, which costs the same as a complete one, and the $109 Sweetheart.
$21.36est. delivered
A wartime Type 17 per the title, at about $21 delivered with eight bids and under a day left. A complete fixed-price No. 3 is $40 delivered, so we'd stop at about $30 bid.
Stanley Bailey No. 3 Type 17 1942-45 Hand Plane #3 Smooth Bottom WWII Era
$39.95delivered
A complete WWII-era No. 3 with free shipping, the cheapest fixed-price one here and under the $45–70 band. Ask for photos of the mouth and of the frog top around the lateral lever.
Vintage Stanley Bailey No. 3 Smoothing Hand Plane - WWII Era Made in USA
$76.60est. delivered
The only No. 3 here titled sharp and clean, so it's the least work before first use. At about $77 delivered it's $7 over the band for that.
Vintage STANLEY No. 3 Smoothing Bench Plane WWII 1940s Era Sharp & Clean USA
$59.35est. delivered
A corrugated 3C the seller calls an early Type 8, at about $59 delivered, mid-band. A Type 8 should show no patent dates behind the frog, so ask for that photo.
Vintage Stanley No 3C Type 8 Early B Mark Corrugated Plane
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 11, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$21.36est. delivered
$12.50 + $8.86 shipping
Auction · 8 bids · ends in 17h 23m
Good buy
Type 17, WWII era per the title. Eight bids, under a day left.
Seller: talon95tsi
100% positive
Used$39.95delivered
$39.95 · free shipping
Buy It Now$39.95
Good buy
WWII era per the title. Free shipping.
Seller: aplusclean
100% positive
Used$76.60est. delivered
$60.00 + $16.60 shipping
Buy It Now$60.00
Good buy
WWII era, sharp and clean per the title.
Seller: vintagetooldrop
100% positive
Used$59.35est. delivered
$52.50 + $6.85 shipping
Buy It Now$52.50
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Good buy
3C, early Type 8 per the title. It should have no patent dates behind the frog.
Seller: firstfinds1
100% positive
For parts$40.00delivered
$40.00 · free shipping
Buy It Now$40.00
Our take
For parts or repair, at the price of a complete No. 3.
Seller: rebe-1976
100% positive
Used$57.50est. delivered
$49.00 + $8.50 shipping
Buy It Now$49.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
Fine if you might miss it? Send an offer first. Someone else can still buy it while you wait for a reply.
Want it for sure? Use Buy It Now.
Our take
Type 19 (1948–61) per the title.
Seller: took12
100% positive
Used$59.85est. delivered
$46.00 + $13.85 shipping
Auction · 1 bid · ends in 5d 8h
Check the seller
Same title as another seller's listing. Compare the photos before you bid.
Seller: bruk_d
100% positive
Used$108.84est. delivered
$89.99 + $18.85 shipping
Buy It Now$89.99
Priced high
Sweetheart per the title, about $39 over the band with no other reason given.
Seller: tit4tat733
100% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 11, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay search
