History of Stanley
I’ve been using Stanley and record hand planes for many many years. The name Stanley was from the Stanley tool works and was founded by Frederick Stanley who originally made Ironmongery in a partnership with his brother.
The pattern that we are all used too was a written derived from a design painted by Leonard Bailey. Leonard was a great engineer but not necessarily a great businessman and met his match with Frederick Stanley. Eventually, Frederick Stanley took control of Leonard Bailey’s patents. When Leonard died Stanley tool works made homage to Leonard Bailey by casting the name of Bailey into the sole of their best hand planes. The basis of Bailey’s designs is still used in new hand planes today. In particular, the lever cab of the Stanley Bailey hand plane was an original Bailey patent.