Craftsman Planes
Both Millers Falls and Sargent would supply the finest planes under the Craftsman name for over four decades. The first Craftsman bench plane produced for Sears was supplied by the Sargent Co. in the spring 1928 catalog. The first Millers Falls Craftsman bench plane was introduced in the spring 1933 catalog. Between these two companies where would be twenty-one distinct types of Craftsman bench planes comprising of twenty different embossed lever caps, thirteen different trademark irons and seven different model number changes spanning forty-three years. For the first twenty-five years, nether Millers Falls nor Sargent would stamp the model number on the Craftsman planes. In 1951, Sargent started adding the model number as part of the trademark on the iron. The first model number on a Millers Falls Craftsman bench plane started in 1964 with the model number stamped on the left cheek.
The first Craftsman block planes was introduced in the spring of 1930. Like the bench plane, both Sargent and Millers Falls produced the Craftsman block planes. Only Millers Falls stamped the model number on the left cheek on their block planes which makes it easy to identify a Millers Falls block plane.
Sears guaranteed the quality of the planes they sold. If a plane was returned to them for any reason, Sears would send the plane back to the manufacturer. Starting in spring 1934, Millers Falls started stamping the left cheek with the plane size based on the Stanley numbering system and the letter “C” for the Craftsman line. In 1937 a unique two letter code known as the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) was assigned to both Sargent and Millers Falls. Sargent received the code “BL” and Millers Falls had “BB”. Both Sargent and Millers Falls stamped the OEM on the iron as part of their trademark. Millers Falls also added the “BB” OEM code to the cheek stamp. Around 1943, Sears expanded the OEM as a numeric code assigning Sargent the code 619 and Millers Falls 107 which were applied to the iron. A short time after the Millers Falls 107.1 OEM was assigned, Millers Falls received a third OEM sometime around 1944 which was an upper case “F” in a circle on the iron. The cheek stamp “BB” never changed.
Sargent would end their production line after the summer of 1964. Millers Falls would continue to produce craftsman planes until the summer of 1969. The Craftsman name would continue after 1969 with Stanley providing two bench planes and three block planes to Sears.
Millers Falls introduced the Craftsman bench plane line in 1933 with an inner ring gold background lever cap on the No. 4, 5, 6 and 7. This inner ring lever cap would be seen on the same four size planes for over six years. In 1935, the no. 3 was added to the lineup, but the No, 3 had a gold background lever cap with the Craftsman name in plain text and no inner ring. In 1938, the two lever caps wound change the background color from gold to blue. A new style lever cap was introduced in 1939 with all five planes with the same sever cap.
A special thanks to Greg Ricketts for his Craftsman Bench Plane Study that was used to cross-reference the Millers Falls Craftsman bench planes with the complete Craftsman production.
Skip to the block plane section.
Millers Falls Craftsman Bench Planes
The Millers Falls Craftsman planes had six unique lever caps with three iron trademarks. For the purpose of this document, I will label the six lever caps MFLC1 through 6 and the three irons MFIron 1 through 3. The results of this type study should be merged with the Greg Rickets Craftsman type study.
Lever Cap 1 1933 - 1937. Craftsman name has an inner ring with a gold background.
Lever Cap 2 1935 - 1937. Plain Text with a gold background. Size 3 only.
Lever Cap 3 1937 - 1938. Craftsman name has an inner ring with a blue background.
Lever Cap 4 1937 - 1938. The Craftsman name on a blue oval with no inner ring. Size 3 only
Lever Cap 5 1938 - 1950 Oversize "C" - Four different Versions
Lever Cap 6 1964 - 1969. This type will have the corduroy style cheeks with no trademark on the iron.
Lever Cap 1 / Iron 1
1933 Spring/Summer - 1934 Fall/Winter
No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 , No. 7
The iron has a unique trademark stamp with two stars on either side of “Craftsman Tools” in an oval. The lever cap has the Craftsman name in an oval with an inner ring on a gold background. The knob and tote will be rosewood, and the lever cap will be nickel plated. During the late 1934 timeline the plane size was stamped on the left cheek with the letter “C” which stood for Craftsman.
During these two years, there were three configuration changes.
yoke changed from cast iron to steel.
addition of a yoke pin recess.
addition of the bed knob ribs.
The catalog offered eight model numbers in either a smooth or corrugated sole.
|
Size |
Smooth |
Corrugated |
|---|---|---|
| #4 | 5264 | 5265 |
| #5 | 5266 | 5267 |
| #6 | 5268 | 5269 |
| #7 | 5270 | 5271 |
The lever cap will feature the Craftsman name in an oval with an inner ring. The background will be gold. The knob and tote will be rosewood with brass waist nuts securing them.
The initial release has a cast iron yoke with no yoke pin recess.
Initial release does not have a cheek stamp.
The first change to the frog is the addition of the yoke pin recess. The yoke will change to steel before the end of the type 6.
Before the end of the type 6, a size stamp was added to the cheek with the letter "C" for the Craftsman line.
Lever Cap 1 and 2 / Iron 2
1935 Spring/Summer - 1937 Spring/Summer
No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 , No. 7
1935 Fall/Winter - 1937 Spring/Summer
No. 3
A new trademark iron was introduced in spring 1935. for the No.4 through No. 7 planes. It was a simple layout with the word CRAFTSMAN in plain test with MADE IN U.S.A. on the second line. In the fall 1935 Sears introduced the No. 3 size for the first time. Unlike the existing planes with the inner ring, the No. 3 would omit the ring but keep the gold background and smooth text on the lever cap. In 1936, the No. 3 would represent the Golden Jubilee with a commemorative sticker and a well designed box celebrating Sears fifty years of service.
The early planes have the double star decal where the later planes have the new long C or sliding C decal.
|
Size |
Smooth |
Corrugated |
|---|---|---|
| #3 | 3715 (fall 1935) | |
| #4 | 3716 | 3722 |
| #5 | 3717 | 3723 |
| #6 | 3718 | 3724 |
| #7 | 3719 | 3725 |
Lever Cap 1 and 2 / Iron 3
1937 Fall/Winter
No.3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6 , No. 7
The third iron to be found on the gold ring lever cap is the segmented Craftsman iron. The second line has MADE IN U.S.A. and for the first time the OEM is stamped on the iron.
This is the final version of the gold inner ring lever cap. Segmented iron with the OEM.
This new trademark has a segmented CRAFTSMAN with OEM stamp.
The segmented Iron has the OEM, but the cheek does not have the OEM. There is still a little gold between the letters.
Lever Cap 3 and 4 / Iron 3
1938 Spring/Summer - 1939 Spring/Summer
No. 3 through No. 7
In1938 the color on both lever caps were changed from gold to blue. As you will see in the pictures below, Millers Falls started chrome plating the lever cap, iron and chip breaker before the the fall 1939 catalog indicated. The cheeks on the later models were also chased.
Later version of the No. 3 with chassed cheeks and chromed lever cap, iron, and chip breaker
The chassed cheek were added sometime after the initial release in 1938.
Breakdown of the No 3715.
The No. 3716 had chrome lever cap, iron and chip breaker. No examples have been found with chassed cheeks.
After all these years the chrome still shines.
Lever Cap 5 / Iron 3
1939 Fall / Winter - 1942 Fall / Winter
For the first time, all the Millers Falls Craftsman planes from the No. 3 through the No. 7 will have the same lever cap. The planes will have a chrome lever cap, chip breaker and iron. The cheeks on this type are “Chased” to further enhance the new look. The style of the Craftsman name on the lever cap has changed with the letter C” extending over the top and bottom of the letter “R”. The name is set in an oval with a blue background. This type will have the same iron trademark and tote decal as the previous version. The knob and tote are rosewood with nickel waist nuts. The depth adjusting nut will also have a nickel finish.
The introduction of the new lever cap will also have nine new model numbers with either a smooth or corrugated sole.
|
Size |
Smooth |
Corrugated |
|---|---|---|
| #3 | 3741 | |
| #4 | 3742 | 3746 |
| #5 | 3743 | 3747 |
| #6 | 3744 | 3748 |
| #7 | 3745 | 3749 |
Type 11 has chased cheeks and rosewood knob and tote.
This type has the lever cap, chip breaker and iron all chromed.
This is an example of a number 6 corrugated type 11. Based on the cross reference above, this is the model No. 3748.
This corrugated number 7 type 11 is the model No. 3749.
Lever Cap 5 / Iron 3
Post WWII
1945 Fall / Winter - 1948 Fall / Winter
Between the spring of 1943 through the summer of 1945 Sargent would supply the Craftsman plane line to Sears. In the Fall of 1945, Millers Falls resumed production of the Craftsman line with a scaled back version because of restrictions with WWII. This version will have the same nickel finish lever cap design as the previous type 12 and two new OEM stamps on the iron. The new Millers Falls OEM “107.1” will be seen on the majority of the irons during the type 15 timeline. The second OEM is the letter “F” enclosed in a circle. With this new OEM, the iron trademark will display a new text style and format. The cheek will continue to have the original OEM of “BB”. The knob and tote are stained hardwood with a single bolt securing them to the bed.
In the Fall of 1948, Sears would change the design of their tote decal with Craftsman centered in an oval with two parallel lines on either side of the Craftsman name.
This scaled back version will have five models at the start. The #3 will be added in the fall of 1947.
|
Size |
Smooth |
Corrugated |
|---|---|---|
| #3 | 3741 | |
| #4 | 3742 | |
| #5 | 3743 | 3747 |
| #6 | 3748 | |
| #7 | 3749 |
An example of an early No. 3741 type 15.
The #3 was back in the Craftsman line in the fall of 1947. This plane has the original tote decal.
This #3 has a brass depth adjusting nut and the new tote decal. Both of these features were started in the fall of 1948.
Lever Cap 5 / Iron 3
1949 Spring / Summer - 1950 Fall / Winter
Late in 1948, Millers Falls went back to producing planes with rosewood and waist nuts to secure the knob and tote.
In the Fall of 1948, Sears would change the design of their tote decal with Craftsman centered in an oval with two parallel lines on either side of the Craftsman name.
A later type 15 with a brass depth adjusting nut and brass waist nuts securing the rosewood knob and tote.
The later type 15 will have the new decal on the tote.
This No. 3742 #4 type 15 plane has the new Craftsman tote decal and the circle "F" OEM. The frog on this 2" plane has a casting number 496A which started in 1945. Millers Falls returned to using brass and rosewood late in 1948.
Lever Cap 6
1964 Fall / Winter - 1969 Spring / Summer
This style lever cap would be the last type Millers Falls would produce for Sears. The lever cap has the name Craftsman with recessed metal around the name. The iron will not have any trademark stamp. The cheeks have a corduroy design that was also implemented by Sargent on the previous types. The knob and tote will be black plastic. For the first time, the Craftsman name, 107 OEM, and the model number were stamped on the left cheek. This type will have only three models.
#4 - 37034 ** smooth sole only
#5 - 37035 ** smooth sole only
#6 - 37036 ** corrugated sole (1964 - 1968), smooth sole (1969 Spring / Summer)
Corduroy design on the cheeks.
This type had a black plastic knob and tote.
An early release with a full size iron and the original frog face on the right. A later release on the left has the shorter iron and the metal removed above the frog locking screws.
Millers Falls Craftsman Block Planes
Millers Falls and Sargent produced eleven different block plane models from 1930 through 1969. Examples have shown that Sargent would produce the majority of these models, but Millers Falls have been found in eight of the eleven models.
Craftsman Block Planes
|
Model |
Date Range |
MF Model |
MF Prod |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5255 | S/S 1930 - F/W 1934 | #26 | No |
| 5256 | S/S 1930 - F/W 1934 | #36 | Yes |
| 5326 | S/S 1930 - F/W 1934 | #85 | No |
| 3704 ** | S/S 1935 - S/S 1964 | #26 | Yes |
| 3705 | S/S 1935 - F/W 1937 | #36 | Yes |
| 3730 ** | S/S 1935 - S/S 1964 | #85 | Yes |
| 3732 ** | S/S 1938 - S/S 1960 | #47 | Yes |
| 3705 * | S/S 1951 - S/S 1964 | #33 | No |
| 37032 | F/W 1964 - S/S 1969 | #16 | Yes |
| 37037 | F/W 1964 - S/S 1969 | #33 | Yes |
| 37039 | F/W 1964 - S/S 1970 | #85 | Yes |
* The number 3705 was previously used on a different plane from1935 - 1937.
** Model was not available in 1944
No. 5256
No. 3704 and No. 37032
No. 3732
No. 37037
No. 3730 and No. 37039
No. 5256
1930 spring / summer - 1934 fall / winter
Sole 6” with a 1-5/8” iron set at 20°
The Millers Falls version of the Craftsman No. 5256 is a match to the No. 36 with a nickel finish knuckle joint style lever cap. This plane has an adjustable mouth, folded lateral adjustment lever, and a depth of cut adjustment nut. No OEM is found on this plane. In the spring / summer 1935, the No. 5256 was changed to the No. 3705.
Craftsman No 5256 standard angle block plane
The No. 5256 predates the start of the OEM stamp.
No. 3704 and No. 37032
No. 3704 (1935-1943 / 1947-1964)
Sole 6” with a 1-5/8” iron set at 20°
The 3704 is a match to the No. 26 with a nickel lever cap before 1944, and a match to the No. 16 with a black lever cap after the 1947 second release. The early planes will have a folded lateral adjuster with a solid iron landing. The 1947 timeline version will have the disk lateral adjuster with a recessed iron landing and a black lever cap.
No. 3704 has a 6" sole, a 1-5/8" iron and a cam lock lever cap. The earlier planes will have a nickel lever cap.
The No. 3704 is a fully adjustable block plane that is modeled after the Millers Falls No. 26. This plane will always have a cheek stamp and the OEM on both the iron and cheek.
The early No. 3704 in the foreground is a match to the Millers Falls No. 26.
An early trademark without the OEM in the back left. The second half of the 30's will have the 'BB' OEM in the back right. In the forties, the trademark will have the circle 'F' and the 107.1 OEM.
No. 37032 (1964-1965, 1966-1969)
During the six years of production under the Craftsman brand, this plane had two different configurations with the same model number. The early version is modeled after the No. 16 and the later version is the No. 16C. Both versions will have a polished lever cap. The change to the new configuration was around 1966. The spring 1968 Sears catalog shows this change for the first time, but it was made two years earlier at the factory.
The early version (1964-1965) of the 107-37032 has the same configuration as the No. 3704 with a depth adjustment nut.
Breakdown of the 107-37032 after the redesign of the adjustment mechanism. The frog was changed to accommodate the depth adjusting screw to engage the iron with three oval holes. Sears kept the same model number with this new configuration.
The later configuration with a depth adjusting screw. Also note the lateral adjustment lever is below the screw.
The second version of the 107-37032 is clearly different from the initial release with the depth adjustment screw.
No. 3732
1938 spring / summer - 1960 spring / summer
Sole 7” with a 1-5/8” iron set at 12°
The 3732 is a match to the Millers Falls No. 47 low angle block plane. Millers Falls stopped producing the No. 47 from their catalog in 1948. The Sears catalog continued to display this plane or one like it until the start of 1959. Did MF continue to produce this plane for only Sears, or did Sears turn to Stanley for their version after 1948? There is one stamp that Millers Falls used that could help answer this question.
Millers Falls would stamp a sub-set of their irons with a “C” or a “DD”. The “DD” was used before 1949 and the “C” when the STS iron was introduced in 1949. If a No. 3732 with a ‘C’ stamp on the iron can be found, this would be one indication that MF continued to make this plane for Sears after 1948.
Craftsman No. 3732 Low Angle Block Plane
Nickel lever cap
Breakdown of the No. 3732
This picture shows the Craftsman No. 3732 in the foreground and the Millers Falls No. 47 in the background.
107-37037
1964 fall / winter - 1969 spring / summer
Sole 3-3/8” with a 1” iron set at 45°
The 37037 is modeled after the Millers Falls No. 33. The 37037 was a red enameled lever cap and a gray body. There is no trademark on the iron.
No. 37037 with a gray body and red lever cap.
The 37037 has a bedding angle of 45 degrees with the iron bevel down.
No. 3730 Rabbet
1935 spring / summer - 1964 spring / summer
It is easy to distinguish the Millers Falls version from the Sargent version. The Sargent version has a finger hold in the front. Dating this plane is difficult because very few changes were incorporated into plane and it is not clear when either of the two companies produced their versions. Check the details listed under the No. 85.
The only way to date this plane is to look at the trademark on the iron.
The Millers Falls model never changed any feature except for their iron.
The "BB" OEM dates this iron between 1934 to 1943. After 1943, the OEM will be "107.1".
No. 37039 Rabbet
1964 fall / winter - 1970 spring / summer
In the fall of 1964, Sears changed the model numbers on all the planes carried at Sears. The previous No. 3730 was renamed 37039. The Millers Falls version would have a 107 preceding the model number. Near the end of production, Millers Falls eliminated the depth adjustment lever and removed the adjustment slots on the back of the iron. The summer 1970 Sears catalog was the last issue for Millers Falls.
This plane not only has a box with the Millers Falls model number, but it also has the model number stamped on the side. Why is this important? Ever see a Millers Falls plane painted green?
The OEM code 107 identifies this plane as a Millers Falls
The early 37039 still used the slotted iron to adjust the depth shown on the left hand version. They did away with the slots all together on the later version shown on the right hand example. Also note the casting on the right does not have an adjustment slot and the 37039 is using flat thumb screws instead of the round thumb screws found on earlier No. 3730.