Official Luthiers Forum!

Folks, I try to limit my tool addiction by buying a tool when I think I need it for the next step of whatever it is I'm working on.

And today I think I need a block plane. And I know squat about planes. I'd like to be pointed toward a good-value workable inexpensive block plane. Any suggestions as to what to look for and general price points for ausable tool but not a treasured works of art?

Thanks very much.

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Peter Havriluk

The suggestions that always seem to come up are...

Stanley/Record vintage plane that you refinish/flatten etc yourself, or, Lee Valley Veritas or Lie Neilson (sp.?)

I'm not a plane aficionado by any means, but, both the LV and LN planes are real good tools.

The trade off seems to be

Buy cheap and invest labor/time in making a cheap tool serviceable, or

Spend the money to get a tool that works fantastic out of the box

Myself, I'm to crinkly and uneducated to bring sup par tools into grace, so o spent the money on a good LV plane and had done with it.

YMMV.

My choice is the stanley 60 1/2.
Many available, easy to tune up, used ones are reasonably priced and pleasure to use once tuned.
I have 60 or 70 planes, including LV and LN and this is one of my favorites. Actually 3 of them.
LN makes a pretty much identical copy, also in a rabbet version, but will likely cost you 3-4 times as a clean used Stanley.
LV has an awesome plane in the dx or nx, and the little apron is also handy.
Your budget and willingness to do some searching and tuning will make your choices.
My .03 cents.

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

Woodriver is worth a look.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I've found most of my block planes at the flea markets. One of my favorites doesn't have a makers mark and I haven't seen any others like it. I have some Stanley block planes of various sorts and have found that even the cheap "school boy" plane (#118) with the stamped steel sole works well if properly sharpened and adjusted. I like low angle block planes, but many people prefer the standard angle type.
Generally you can find a used flea market block plane for less than $10.
Block planes don't require a whole lot of "tuning up" They are glorified "chisel holders" The short sole doesn't usually require flattening, and even if you wanted to, it wouldn't take much to do it. They don't have a chip breaker, so you don't have to flatten the edge for a perfect fit. Aside from making the blade really sharp (at your prefered angle) there isn't much to do.

It sounds like you have a specific job in mind. What are you going to use it for?
It might be easier to taylor suggestions with that in mind.
Most of my life has a perpetual search for small planes running through it.
One of my favorite block planes started as a $17 Ace hardware thing with an after market blade. I did spend some time altering it to suit my purpose though.

I use these quite a bit, the violin makers the most. I have the full size Lie Nielsen block plane and rarely use it.
You can certainly use older, cheaper planes but these have excellent steel and my grand kids can fight over them one day
https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/blo ... ?node=4072
https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/blo ... ?node=4072

Pesky double post

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

The LN 102 is my favorite by far and worth every penny IMO.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I am also a happy owner of the two smaller LN bronze block planes. They can handle just about any block plane operation on a guitar. I have a Stanley block plane that I use for just general home repair (shave off the top of a sticking door, etc.). It works fine, but the LN bronze planes are just the right size and quality for guitar parts.

The LN planes are certainly nicely made and have some improvements over the originals (adjusters and thicker blade) but the Stanley 101 and 102 planes can usually be found for a couple bucks in the flea market. On eBay they seem to be running about $15 - - $20 including shipping.

I have several Stanley and Bailey planes but since I bought this one the others get little use.

https://www.lie-nielsen.com/product/blo ... ?node=4072

Thanks for the replies, folks.

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Peter Havriluk

Hey Peter-

PM sent.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds

I'm all about my LN 60 1/2. Other than my dial caliper and a Porter Cable 310, it's my oldest tool. I have the LN violin-maker's plane and really like it, too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A good block plane - specifically a LN 60-1/2 - was one of the few tools that we were told to have in our personal tool kit, and the only one where no range of options were specified by brand, vintage versus new, or other cost differential. When I questioned the need to spend that much money - about $160 - versus $30 for a vintage 60-1/2, the boss explained that the materials selection, quality of construction, and perfection of design all combined in the case of this version of an adjustable mouth block plane to justify the extravagance. He suggested that saving money on bench planes or chisels would have little or no impact on quality or enjoyment of the work, but for this one tool, his insistence on brand and model would be fully justified within a few years. It has - one of my best tool purchases, and one which could justifiably be termed an investment versus a mere expense.

We have many options available in the shop for trimming and paring, but the three tools which always seem to be missing from the racks over the big bench when there are more than 2 workers in the shop are the LN 60-1/2 and the 12mm and 20mm width Ulmia chisels.

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A constellation only takes shape when one maps the whole.
- Beth Brower

I also have several planes including Stanley. My go-to block plane is my WoodRiver. It's a lot better than the general run of the mill Stanley but not quite as good as LN or LV....

If I was buying now - it would be LV or LN...

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html is a good place to start with detailed descriptions and +/- of each variant of Stanley's planes. If you want cheap you need to buy used. Here's a list of reputable old tool dealers published by the Midwest Tool Collectors Assoc. (not just Midwest): http://www.mwtca.org/tool-dealers.html Hint: Don't call them. Email is a much better use of their time. If you can go to a a MWTCA tool meet you'll get the best prices from their pre-meeting swap and sell session.

I have the LV 60 1/2 copy and the LN 102 copy along with a bunch of old Stanleys. The LV block plane has extra heft over other 60 1/2 copies and is used on a small shooting board mostly. The LN 102 copy has slanted sides so shooting board use is out but it is the one I use the most freehand for the relatively small scale work I do re: luthiery. It's bronze, heavier than the original Stanley and fits my hand well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bridge-City-Wor ... Swr7ZW5zVg

Anyone care to pony up for one of those and tell us if it's worth the money?

Or if you are really serious.....

http://www.holteyplanes.com/prices.html

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

I have a Record low angle block plane. It is very much like the Stanley 60-1/2. It is a very good plane. I got mine new, many years ago. I think it was from Home Depot if you can believe that.

I think Record went out of business a few years ago but I see they sell the plane on ebay for around $60, new. Not sure what the deal is on that. Rights bought by someone? The plane looks the same.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Well, I have a dial caliper, two actually, and a Porter-Cable 310, too. I'm trying to shake out the Ford Falcon of planes, not the Ferraris. No argument about the Ferraris being much nicer to use than the Ford, but such ain't in my budget.

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Peter Havriluk

While perusing block planes on ebay I found out the maker of one of my favorites that is unmarked. It is a Sargent low angle knuckle joint block plane with an adjustable mouth. There are several listed on ebay in the 12 to 15 dollar range.

I'm an LN kinda guy, but if you have to get an old Stanley and flatten the sole, then a block plane is definitely the way to go (as opposed to a #7 or 8).

Find an old Stanley SW on eBay or elsewhere, google how to tune up a plane, and have at it.

For those who can't wait to have a plane made for them but still want to blow a lot of cash here is a classic block (thumb) plane.... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stunning-Rare-N ... OSwmmxW6fs