Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi
I'm new to lutherie, specifically violins, and I'm looking to find some good tools that won't completely break the bank. I found these finger planes on Ebay and I'd really love to hear your opinions on them:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4pcs-finger-planes- ... 3359c0e215
Of course it's probably hard to determine the quality level without actually using them, but I need to start somewhere.
There is also a listing for some knives: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MEWAX:IT
According to the seller they're made out of "sharpen" steel, whatever that means.
I have a hunch that these tools are probably not top notch, but at this point I'm wondering if having some tools is better than having no tools. So if you could take a look and give me your input I would appreciate it!
Thanks!

Catherine,

Welcome to the OLF.

I would hesitate, perhaps forever, on these tools, unless you get some feedback from others who've bought them. Sometimes having bad tools is worse than having no tools. If you start out with a bad tool, without knowing what it's like to use a good one, you're more likely to keep using it, putting off spending the money for a good one. It makes it harder to give up if you already have one. Sort of like being in a bad relationship. I'd pass, and save for something you can handle and examine before you buy.

Good luck,

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

I agree with Pat.

Catherine, the finger planes look less robust than the Ibex planes that most of us are familiar with. Tiny cap and screw and thin blades. The knives... well, there is no way to know whether the steel is any good or not. From China? I would guess that it is risky at best. I would go with fewer, better tools.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Yo, catherinej

Welcom to OFL, not much fiddle maken going down on this site mainly guitars and mandos...oh well.

regarding them planes for the BUY NOW PRICE of $79. Well when they auction them off, which is virtually all the time, they usually go for around $35 to $45 for the four of them...sometime you will find five (including a flat bottom Plane) for that price. At that price, well ya they are not Ibex but and none the less, they can't be all that bad. But then what do me be knowing anything about nothing.

blessings

Peace and carrots

Duh
Padma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I've been similarly wondering about these planes on Ebay in the UK:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MINIATURE-BRASS-AND-ROSEWOOD-BLOCK-PLANE_W0QQitemZ290399003850QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Hand_Tools_Equipment?hash=item439d2124ca#ht_500wt_956

Sean

Sean, I have that plane and use it sometimes to shave braces. It's much longer than a finger plane like the Ibex and does nothing a 101 or even 202 couldn't do. All in all, not very useful IMHO.

I wouldn't buy those Chinese planes, they're cheap for a reason. Even the Ibex ones generally need a bit a tweaking to function well. But the blades can hold an edge for a long time.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Here is a link to a finger plane that works very well. I make them myself and they are great!

http://www.luthiersuppliers.com/products/p13.html

I make the blades 2 inches long so they are easy to hold in your sharpening jig.

Thanks for looking.

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http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

Catherine,
I bought some cheap ones just to see how they work. If you are very good at sharpening, they work okay. But not for long. They don't hold an edge very long because of the cheap steel. I use Ibex planes, and they are worth the money. If you are carving tops and backs, you need a good plane. Otherwise, you would spend all your time sharpening the blades. Guitarmakers probably don't use planes as much as violin makers, so it would be hard to find someone on this forum to help you with this. I carve braces with mine. And I use the flat bottomed plane. The Ibex planes go for around $40 to $50 if you look hard. Sometimes they sell on ebay for less. But I would steer clear of any cheap planes made in China. I have found over the years that if I buy the best tool initially, it is cheaper. Because I always end up buying it anyway. You get what you pay for.
Welcome to the OLF..........Mike R

Catherine, If you are shaving braces then I would highly recommend Stephen's plane. I've got one and its very nice.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Why don't you try to make your own planes? It's really not that hard, good practice for instrument work, and best of all, cheap! I don't like the steel in those Ibex planes much, I believe they are chrome vanadium. My favourite finger planes have irons cut from old bench plane irons. Here's one I made from instructions in Irving Sloane's book years ago, it still works fine. The iron is about 16 mm or so, but narrower on the top because of the geometry of the Stanley iron I cut it from.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

That is a plane made in China. It is cheap i bought 3 of them for $10 at Harbor fraight and did some alteration work on them. Replaced the blades and reworked the moth and sole plates and they wourk ok but reall are only worth about the cost of the blade I put in them. but they serve a porpose in my shope wher I don't want or need to use my Ibex.

I really appreciate everyone's input. I'm really interested in making my own planes. I wasn't before but seeing peoples' pictures make me want to try it. What is the best source for blades, and are there any especially good schematics or patterns online?
Thanks!
Catherine

I haven't made any small planes, but Ron Hock makes some of the best plane blades. Highly recommended.

http://www.hocktools.com/default.html

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Beat me to it. I recently missed out on an Ibex plane for about £25 and saw a set for almost the same money. I'm a little cautious about the quality, but at the same time I can't justify paying a fortune for a set of expensive planes at the moment.

I may go for it and if they are poor I will use them for my first build and when I am sure I will make another I will start to get some better ones.

I found a few cheap sets:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/5pcs-various-smal ... 3242331211

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/4pcs-various-size ... 0068856880

I bought the very same plane. I'm going to disagree somewhat with a few of the replies. I worked on the plane, rounding off all the edges. Even with the thin blade it works fine for brace wood - providing you get that blade keen. I haven't even bothered trying to replace the blade with an upgrade as the original is fine on Spruce.

Michael, that's not the same plane(s) mentioned in the OP, which are thumb planes. I agree that it works fine.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

At least they didn't lie to you when you asked them how they compare to the ibex planes. But then again they didn't answer that question so i would take that as a hint of there quality. Or lack of. Like Padma suggested they sell for much cheaper if you bid on an auction instead of the buy it now. I wouldn't feels as bad if I only paid $30.00 for crap instead of of $70

I bought one of Stephens planes a few weeks ago and love it. Worked great on my braces.

(pockets $20)

JUST KIDDING!!!!

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Padma,

yu da man!
Many thanks.
I have some very old plane blades bought at auction (in wooden planes which were split). I can see a project coming on.

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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.

while we are on the subject..
this guy makes beautiful little planes and his little spokeshave is totally indispensable to me
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ebony-Miniture-Bloc ... 2a049bab28

When I bought my finger plane this place was the cheapest for pucker Ibex ones

http://www.pilgrimsprojects.biz/ibex.html

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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I have his spokeshave. Nice and delicate. Now if you should have been an obstetrician 'cuz you have ham hands, the spoke shave might be too delicate for you. But for the rest of us, its a nice tool to add to your arsenal and I feel I got a lot of bang for my buck.

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Aoibeann

There is an excellent article on making Brass Planes in the Spring 2007 American Lutherie (#89), by Ken Altman.

Bob