I’m very fond of my Stanley 5 1/4. Its a plane I use regularly but rarely see talked about. The 5 1/4 can be thought of as a long No. 3. It was originally designed for school woodworking classes. It is 11 1/2 inches long compared to the No. 3 at 8 inches or a standard No. 5 at 14 inches. It has the same 1 3/4 inch cutter as the No. 3 rather than the 2 inch cutter of other No. 5 planes. And it comes in about a pound lighter.

I work in a small shop, mostly on small projects. And small stock is what the 5 1/4 excels at. When you are trying to true the edge of a 3/8th inch board the 5 1/4 is a lot easier to balance and manage than its larger cousins. If you want a straight edge it is that bit easier to achieve with the extra length of the 5 1/4 than the shorter no. 3.

For those who want to go a step up, Stanley made Bedrock 5 1/4 planes. If you are not a Stanley fan at all Millers Falls, Ohio, Sargent and others all made 5 1/4 size planes.

If you who find the no. 3 too small and cramped for your hands, the 5 1/4 is a roomier plane and you are unlikely to run into any problems. Take a look at the photos below to see a 3, 5 and 5 1/4 side by side.

Stanley 5 1/4

Front left - No. 3 , Front right - No. 5 1/4, Rear No. 5. You can see the tote on the No. 5 1/4 has a lot more room than a 3.

Stanely 5 1/4

And a top view of the same planes. Despite the width and length not sounding like a big difference, you can see the 5 1/4 is a much less substantial plane than a 5.