Leonard Bailey (1825-05-08 in Hollis, New Hampshire – 1905-02-05 in New York City) was a toolmaker/inventor from Massachusetts, USA, who in the mid-to-late nineteenth century patented several features of woodworking equipment. Most prominent of those patents were the planes manufactured by the Stanley Rule & Level Co. (now Stanley Works) of New Britain, Connecticut. [1]
Commonly known as Stanley/Bailey planes, these planes were prized by woodworkers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and remain popular by today's wood craftsman. A type study of his patented planes and the rest of the Stanley line may be found at Patrick Leach's "Blood and Gore"[2].
Bailey's design ideas are still utilized by Stanley and other plane manufacturers to this day.