Standard (Not Stanley) Rule Co.: The Practically Forgotten Tool Company

I originally wrote this article over ten years ago, and while I will retain the original content, I’ve incorporated new discoveries to reflect the changes that have occurred since then.

Finding Something Odd

One of my favorite hobbies is scouring garage sales and antique shops. Recently, during a visit to an antique mall, I came across a transitional smoothing hand plane that instantly caught my eye. A transitional plane features a traditional wooden body and sole while incorporating elements of metal planes for easier adjustments.

Initially, I thought it was a Stanley #23 transitional hand plane, but something didn’t quite match my memory of that model. First, I noticed the two brass knurled knobs: one was designed to secure the lever hold-down cap, while the other was surprisingly large, resembling a school bus steering wheel, and was used for adjusting the depth of the iron.

The second detail that struck me was the body of the plane itself. It appeared to have less metal and more exposed wood than I expected, and it felt like it should have had a rear tote (handle), but had none.

  As I picked it up for a closer inspection, I saw the name "Standard Rule Co. No 25" stamped on the front. I thought, “That’s strange; I’ve never seen a Stanley with these types of adjustment nuts.” Upon closer examination, I realized it wasn’t Stanley Rule Co. but Standard Rule Co. At that moment, I assumed it was merely a knockoff of the renowned Stanley hand planes and figured it was worthless, making it not worth purchasing. Yet, something compelled me to take it home. It felt different, lonely, and unappreciated, and as a hand tool woodworker who often feels “different” myself, I felt a connection. I decided to buy it and give it a proper home.

What’s It Worth?

Once I returned home, I did what many in my generation do—I turned to the internet. My first stop was eBay. Having paid $25 for the plane, I wanted to check if I had overpaid. Of course, at this point, there was little I could do about the price, but that wasn’t the main concern, right? We all want bragging rights, to say, “It sells for $$, but I got it for only $.” Let’s be honest, though; what we really want is to justify the purchase to our spouses. Ultimately, it’s human nature to want to know if we got a good deal.

I typed “Standard Rule Co.” into eBay, but found almost nothing. I did come across a few similar planes that sold for significant amounts, but they were jointer planes, not smoothing planes, so it wasn’t a fair comparison. At that point, I decided to stop searching for a price. The bottom line was that I bought it, it was mine, and I was happy to own it. As of today 3-1-25, I still can not find the #25 hand plane for sale.

The History of Standard

It was time to welcome this plane into my collection of hand tools, and as a new family member and I wanted to learn about its history. However, when I searched for "Standard Rule Co." on Google, I found very little information. In fact, today’s version of Google AI often assumes you are misspelling "Standard" for "Stanley" and automatically corrects it. Back then when I first wrote this article, the most substantial source I found was a blog post by Lee Valley, which surprised me since I typically associate them with selling new planes. Unfortunately, that blog article no longer exists, but it did provide some valuable insights that I saved.

In 1872, Andrew Upson served as the President of Standard Rule Co., which aimed to manufacture measuring and leveling tools, as its name suggests. In 1883, brothers Solon and Arthur Rust patented a style of hand plane, producing both wooden transitional and all-metal models similar to the Stanley No. 4. By 1888, Standard Rule Co. merged with Upson Nut Co., adopting the name Upson Nut. In 1889, they introduced a lateral lever for side-to-side blade movement to their hand planes. However, the plane's production was short-lived; by 1893, just ten years after its introduction, the company was shut down. What led to this unfortunate outcome?

Bought, Merged, and Forgotten

At the time, Stanley was the dominant player in the market. Founded in 1843, Stanley introduced its hand planes in 1869, giving it a 14-year head start over Standard Rule Co. Many smaller companies likely saw the potential in selling hand planes, but Stanley’s dominance made it difficult for them to compete. While I’m not a businessman, it seems logical that the king of the market would simply acquire its competition, and that’s precisely what happened. In 1893, Stanley acquired Standard Rule Co.(at the time technically Upson Nut) and closed its doors.

So, call me sentimental, but I can’t help but feel for this little plane. Here was an underdog that might have had a chance to succeed but was crushed by a large corporation. Was it extinguished because it was an inferior product, or was it eliminated because it posed a genuine threat?

The truth may never be known; the board members who made those decisions are long gone. However, I feel honored to have this little plane in my possession, and I plan to restore it to its former glory to see if it truly deserves a place among the finest hand tools for craftsmanship.