A quick guide to Millers Falls block planes

Millers Falls were one of the last to the party when it came to block planes, their line of planes debuted in Catalog No.40, January 1929. They introduced 21 different block planes in the initial offering, with no real rhyme or reason with the numbering schema used. The planes were all basically carbon-copies of Stanley planes, at least from the perspective of form and function. In reality Millers Falls didn’t do much in the way of introducing anything new, they merely copied the existing Stanley designs, perhaps with some augmentations with respect to knuckle-lever caps etc. Were their planes better than the likes of Stanley or Sargent? No, they just offered a different perspective. Were they cheaper? The No.16 in 1929 was being sold for $2.20, whereas the equivalent Stanley No.9½ sold for exactly the same price.

My guess would be that Millers Falls already had a very successful tool repertoire, and so they figured that producing planes would only enhance their business. Their one interesting plane was the pressed steel No.206 block plane, which didn’t appear until 1940, although it too was a different interpretation of planes like the Sargent No.5206. The table below describes all of Miller Falls block planes, and their major characteristics. Planes are organized based on how they appeared in the original 1929 catalog.

No.	Length	Years	Adj. throat	Depth blade adj.	Lateral blade adj.	Bed angle	Stanley Ref-No	Notes
16	6″	1929-1965	✓	✓	✓	20°	9½	EF
16C	6″	1965-1971	✓	✓	✓	20°	9½	Depth adjustment modified to sled-type
17	7″	1929-1964	✓	✓	✓	20°	15	EF
26	6″	1929-1944	✓	✓	✓	20°	16	Same as No.16 with nickel trim LC
27	7″	1929-1944	✓	✓	✓	20°	17	Same as No.17 with nickel trim LC
36	6″	1929-1959	✓	✓	✓	20°	18	Same as No.16 but with nickel-plated knuckle-joint lever cap.
37	7″	1929-1959	✓	✓	✓	20°	19	Same as No.17 but with nickel-plated knuckle-joint lever cap.
56	6″	1929-1965	✓	✓	–	12°	60½	EF, low-angle
56B	6″	1965-1976	✓	✓	–	12°	60½	No.56 redesign to accommodate standardized iron.
57	7″	1929-1964	✓	✓	–	12°	65½	EF, low-angle
46	6″	1929-1942	✓	✓	–	12°	60	Same as No.56 but with nickel trim
47	7″	1929-1948	✓	✓	–	12°	65	Same as No.57 but with but with nickel-plated knuckle-joint lever cap. Also Craftsman No.3732.
66	6″	1929-1944	–	✓	–	12°	61	Same as No.46 but with non-adjustable throat, rosewood knob
07	7″	1929-1970	–	✓	–	20°	140	rabbet plane (skewed), EF body, rosewood knob, polished nickel trim
55	5½”	1929-1960	–	✓	–	20°	103	EF, screw cap clamp
97	7″	1929-1960	–	✓	–	20°	120	Longer, and wider than No.55, EF, rosewood knob
75	7″	1929-1965	–	✓	–	20°	220	longer and wider than No.45, EF, rosewood knob
75B	7″	1965-1968	–	✓	–	20°	220	No.75 redesign to accommodate standardized iron. Sold as Fulton No.5257/3701; Dunlap No.3701.
75-01B	7″	1968-1980s	–	✓	–	20°	220	Catalog re-organization.
45	5½”	1929-1964	–	✓	–	20°	203	smaller version of No.75, EF, rosewood knob
3	3½”	1929-1974	–	–	–	45°	100	No.33 with a curved handle, EF
33	3½”	1929-1974	–	–	–	45°	101	EF, later gray/red
5	5½”	1929-1964	–	–	–	20°	102	EF
87	7″	1929-1964	–	–	–	20°	110	EF, rosewood knob
68	8″	1929-1961	–	–	–	20°	130	double-end block plane (one end rabbet), EF, rosewood knob
700	7″	1931-1964	–	–	–	20°	1247	Also Shelburne No.700 M-S
206	6¼”	1940-1959	–	✓	–	20°	–	pressed steel construction
206B	6¼”	1959-1970	–	✓	–	12°	–	Same as No.206 with 12° bed.
707	7″	1956-1974	–	–	–	20°	1247	EF, red LC, grey body, hardwood knob
1455	6″	1956-1974	–	✓	–	12°	61	No.66 reborn. EF, rosewood knob. No.1455B, redesign to accommodate standardized iron.
8455	6″	1974-1977	–	✓	–	12°	61	All black.
8707	7″	1974-1990s	–	–	–	20°	1247	re-numbered No.707
9775	7″	1969-1971	–	–	–	20°	–	Teflon-coated No.75
9033	3½”	1974-1990s	–	–	–	20/45°	H101	pressed-steel construction

EF = enamelled black finish; LC = lever cap; ORANGE=not originating in 1929

• 

• 

• 

For a much deeper dive into the intricacies of Millers Falls planes, check out Millers Falls Planes.