The $16 Stanley 55

In 1899 the Stanley 55 Combination Plane cost $16 (around $487 today, adjusted for inflation). It contained 55 cutters (hence its name), but an additional 41 cutters were available for sale. Since it performed as a plow, dado, rabbet, filletster and match plane, a beading and center beading plane, a sash plane, a slitting plane, and a mounding plane, Stanley said it could replace a full line of “Fancy Planes.

A 1921 edition of a guide published by Stanley on how to use the 55 is available at archive.org:
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https://archive.org/details/Stanley55PlaneAndHowToUseIt

Although it was unlikely to have been published as a PDF in 1921, it is available for download as such from the page above.

Have questions? Then sign up for our ‘Demystifying the Stanley 45 and 55’ class with Charles Murray on March 29 and 30. He’ll be covering the essentials of both combination planes including how to sharpen, setup, adjust, and use them.
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Online Registration: https://site.corsizio.com/c/5c5b45fe12ea5744f6e9e2f3
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