: this reprinted book is from lee valley. i picked up a #45 at an auction last
: fall for $60(can) with only one blade. circa 1915. this is a very solid
: plane that is extremely versitile. the #55 is the cadillac of combo
: planes! a freind got one at a flea market for $250.00 without blades.
: yikes!!

Patrick Leach sells antique tools, and also has an interesting page describing the Stanley products at http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0.htm. For the #45 see http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan6.htm. Another link for the #45 is http://www.antiquetools.com/perm-col/south-wing/stanley41-45.html.

The only combination plane that Leach seems to like is the #46 (skewed iron dado plane) http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan7.htm. Leach writes "This plane is a fabulous worker, much better than the #45. The simple act of skewing the iron makes this plane plane dados around the #45".

I have a #46 and the skewed blades do work quite well, even so, I find that I don't care much for the "fiddle-factor" required for combination planes and would rather have a fleet of individual planes. Aftermarket blades are now available for the #46 (and some #45 parts) at http://www.stjamesbaytoolco.com/stanley.html. Additional info on the #46 is at http://www.patinatools.org/index.htm?pg=/tool2.html.

Greg Stamer