History of the Woodworking Plane

The woodworking plane is one of humanity's oldest precision tools, with a documented history spanning over 2,000 years.

Ancient Origins

The earliest confirmed planes date to the Roman period around 100 BCE. Excavations at Pompeii revealed remarkably sophisticated wooden planes with iron blades and adjustable wedges—designs that wouldn't look out of place in an 18th-century workshop.

Medieval Development

Throughout the medieval period, planes remained entirely wooden. European craftsmen developed specialized forms: molding planes for profiles, jointers for edges, smoothers for finish work. The basic design—wooden body, iron blade, wedge retention—persisted for centuries because it worked.

The Bailey Revolution (1867)

Leonard Bailey changed everything. His patent for a metal-bodied plane with mechanical adjustments made precision affordable. Instead of hammer taps, you turned a wheel. Instead of removing the iron to adjust lateral position, you moved a lever.

Stanley Rule & Level Company bought Bailey's patents in 1869 and spent decades refining the design. The result—what we now call the Bailey-pattern bench plane—dominated the 20th century.