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I have a few inexpensive Japanese style planes and I got myself a cheap honing jig and simply sharpened all the irons using scary sharp then strop... Worked until I can shave my hair off of my arm. The waterstone didn't really work out too well... they just did weird things to my plane blades like turning the steel dark (I don't know why it does that) so I just got sheets of glass and sandpaper and went at it.

Anyways when I put the blade back in the tool was much easier to use. Could actually plane a piece of wood without much effort whereas before I really had to muscle it to get the plane to work (and it tore chucks of wood out every now and then)

Too bad the the plane iron is made of a softer high carbon steel... I guess that's why you pay top dollars for a Lie Neilson.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Check out Hock Blades. The quality of his steel and irons is the same as that used in LN planes.

I've reconditioned 4 Anant planes, replaced the irons and chipbreakers with Hock's and turned them into high quality instruments that give results as good as any LN I ever used. In any case, keeping them sharp and tuned is the real key to successful planing.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Yes, I wanted to get some good quality blades for those Japanese planes... sharpening really helps but I doubt it will remain sharp for long and it's a pain to remove the blade on those Japanese planes because I have to keep beating it with a hammer. I don't know if Hock makes a blade for those kind of planes... I do not have a way of getting a Western style plane inexpensively either... I know Lee Valley does but the problem is it might be some efforts to find a wedge that fits it.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

Tai: High carbon steel makes a good plane blade, takes an excellant edge,better then most but may not be as tough as some of the more exotic tool steels. The higher prices for the LN are not just as a result of different steel in the blades but also as a result of better plane bodies and better overall construction. A well made wooden plane with a good heavy blade makes an excellant tool, but a bit fussy to adjust.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

If you shave the hair on your arm with a blade, it isn't as sharp any more.

Go to "Japan Woodworker"-they have a good selection of blade upgrades for Japanese and other planes. Based in San Fransisco, I think.

I've got a couple planes I might be able sell you when I get back home. Not sure how much you would save by purchasing 3 or 4 and shipping them together, but it might be worth it.

I have extra:
Stanley no. 5's or Miller's Falls no. 14's
Stanley no. 6's or Miller's Falls no 18's

and a couple of block planes. I'll be home in August and post them in the classifieds then if you are interested. It'll just be an excuse for me to buy some more old planes . I like to have extras around for parts.

I suppose anytime you use a blade it's less sharp but shaving hairs off of my arm is the only way for me to evaluate its sharpness.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I was actually being only a little facetious. As a young guy I hunted and was around hunters with my dad a lot and I found out first hand that if you cut hair with your skinning knife it got noticeably duller. The angle and mass of a plane blade may make it not a comparable situation. I run my thumb sideways across the blade to check it.

Hugh

Hugh: And when the blood shows,it's sharp...????

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I find generally like Todd says use the right tools and technique and then LOOK at the very edge. If you see any shiny reflection you can be sure you still have a way to go. If you can not see any reflection you most likely have a sharp edge. Mind you I do use cheaters to do this...!!!
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

I should have added in the above post that you should look at the edge in a bright light. This makes sure a dull edge has something to reflect.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!