# Which block plane????????



## jimmyhenson (17 Mar 2012)

Hi I'm looking to add a quality block plane to my collection. I'm looking at the veritas dx60, LN no. 60 1/2 or the stanley premium low angle block plane as the cheapest option . I haven't seen any user reviews of the stanley, but i like what I hear of the veritas. Would love to hear what other members use and their recommendations. Thanks


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## jimmyhenson (17 Mar 2012)

also any tips on sharpening stones for a2 blades?


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## Dodge (17 Mar 2012)

I have the Veritas low angle and its a very fine block but to be honest I prefer my Quangsheng low angle block - holds an exceptional edge and is much more balanced in the hand - also more balance in the pocket - half the price of a LN!

Oh and the QS from Workshop Heaven comes with Two blades!


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## Alf (17 Mar 2012)

Honestly? I have a lot of block planes, ancient and modern, but reach for a bronze LN #103 more often than not. However, as conventional wisdom is to go for something low angle and with an adjustable mouth, and you can't honestly go wrong with one of the #60 1/2-a-likes such as the LN or the Quangsheng. It's a model that's stood the test of time for good reason. I'm having a bit of trouble discovering if the new Stanley Sweetheart one is the same width as the old #60 1/2 - it looks wider, more like the Record/regular Veritas incarnations. Unless you have large mitts, you might not like the wider ones. The DX60 is a step up again; if you like your tools "just so" and don't mind paying for it, it's a beautifully made plane. If it's your birthday and you don't mind wearing dark glasses every time you get it out, the NX60 is all that plus a bucket of bragging rights. :wink: 

As to A2, most anything will sharpen it - just some may take slightly longer than others.


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## Midnight (17 Mar 2012)

Speaking from experience, you can't go wrong with any of the L-N's... exceptionally well made and awesome in use. For sharpening A2, I use waterstones and the LV Mk2 jig


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## yetloh (17 Mar 2012)

For me, the small LN is too small, but it depends on your taste and the size of your hands. I had the LN 60 1/2 but never quite took to it, can't really put my finger on the reason. I now have the Veritas NX60 which, as Alf says is the blingy version of the DX60 and love it. It has the adjustable mouth which, unlike the LN, is fully enclosed so that accidentally whacking the nose of the lane into a bench dog (it can happen) cannot drive the adjustable section of the sole back into the blade, along with a number of other refinements. I am sure you would love the DX60; it is a much more developed design than the LN. I also a much fettled Stanley 60 1/2 with a laminated Japanese blade, which I also preferred to the LN equivalent.

Jim


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## Vann (18 Mar 2012)

I have to go 400 miles to find a quality tool outlet. The one time I did, I tried a Veritas LABP in my hand and found it felt a bit large (and I have big mitts). So I bought a DX60 instead, but find that very heavy for it's size.

I have no experience with any of the LN blocks.

I read that there was a fault with the initial Stanley SweetHart blocks (screw on the sliding sole section too short IIRC) and I have no idea whether that has been rectified.

Not much help am I :?: :mrgreen: 

Cheers, Vann.


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## woodbloke (18 Mar 2012)

Dodge":3c9z26tm said:


> I have the Veritas low angle and its a very fine block but to be honest I prefer my Quangsheng low angle block - holds an exceptional edge and is much more balanced in the hand - also more balance in the pocket - half the price of a LN!
> 
> Oh and the QS from Workshop Heaven comes with Two blades!


+1. I have the LN variant with a QS 01 blade, simply as when I bought it at the last Ax show, QS weren't around - Rob


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## cambournepete (18 Mar 2012)

I have the iron version of the LN 103 and find its a lovely little tool.
I also have a DX60, which I cannot possibly justify owning on the basis of the use it gets but it fits in the palm of my fairly small hands really well and is a delight.
For rubbish wood which might have some rubbish left in it I have a basic ordinary block plane (can't remember if it's Stanley or Record) which has seen quite a lot of use, but the blade does tend to loosen after a while...


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (18 Mar 2012)

I also have a fondness for the little bronze LN #103, since it was the first new plane I had ever purchased. For years I thought it was a #102 since I had meant to purchase one at the time ... but did not read the label correctly (no reading glasses with me at the time!). I thought it planed end grain superbly ... and it was a shock when I eventually discovered it was a #103! 

The larger, adjustable mouth block planes are, however, better. The #103 is great for breaking edges, but its coffin shape and narrower body mean that it cannot be used on a shooting board.

I did complete a comparison of the Veritas premium block planes, the LN 60 1/2, and the Veritas LA BP when I reviewed the NX and DX60 ...

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... Plane.html







Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Alf (18 Mar 2012)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> The #103 is great for breaking edges, but its coffin shape and narrower body mean that it cannot be used on a shooting board.


Tsk. This from the man who tut-tutted over folks elsewhere wanting to use a jointer on a shooting board. For shame levelling this failure at the poor #102/103, Derek. :lol:

But yeah, I certainly wouldn't advocate it as the choice for sole block plane. Arguably things have moved on since I bought mine, and now one might be better served with a squirrel-tail as a small block. Oh, it's so hard to choose, isn't it? I suspect we're not exactly helping the OP here. :lol:


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## jimmyhenson (18 Mar 2012)

Thanks for all the posts, though i'm not sure if you've confused me even more  I'm torn between the Quangsheng low angle block and the dx or nx60. Will keep you posted on my final decision. Thanks again for all the info.


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## jimi43 (18 Mar 2012)

I can easily see why the QS is popular..apart from the price...if it has the T10 iron then it might be a cut above the A2 variants....I love the large T10 iron I have...it hones razor sharp and stays there for a long time.

I have a vintage 601/2 and it is superb...the only fault is the ease at which you can knock the adjuster and go from fine to wide mouth without knowing it. 

If I don't need an adjustable mouth the two little chariot infills I have knock spots off the Stanley...in every way....






....and little Isaac even has a sort of adjustable mouth...






But then I do have a bias for infills and most people would prefer to buy new technology...in which case I would get the QS it their irons are anything to go by.

Jim


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## JohnCee (18 Mar 2012)

I have a Lie Nielsen standard adjustable block, and a Quangsheng Low angle.
I find the Lie Nielsen much better in every respect and wish I'd spent the extra money and bought a low angle LN instead of the Chinese copy.


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## GazPal (18 Mar 2012)

I get along fine with my Record 060.1/2 and 09.1/2 block planes and their Stanley counterparts as my general "go to" block planes, (From among a wide selection) as they can handle most applications and possess adjustable mouths, but find my choice coloured more by the work in hand than brand, iron orientation, or plane numbering system. 

I've never felt any need to go the LN/LV route, as most planes intended for professional use tend to be more than capable of doing their job, but know LN and LV produce excellent equipment. :wink:


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## Tony Spear (21 Mar 2012)

GazPal":wxl954aj said:


> I get along fine with my Record 060.1/2 and 09.1/2 block planes and their Stanley counterparts as my general "go to" block planes, (From among a wide selection) as they can handle most applications and possess adjustable mouths, but find my choice coloured more by the work in hand than brand, iron orientation, or plane numbering system.
> 
> I've never felt any need to go the LN/LV route, as most planes intended for professional use tend to be more than capable of doing their job, but know LN and LV produce excellent equipment. :wink:



Well, that should warm the cockles of Jacob's heart! Not that you'll find cockles in Derbyshire! :mrgreen:


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## Mr Ed (21 Mar 2012)

I have a stanley 60 1/2 with a Hock blade in it, and although it is not as nice in the hand as the LN 60 1/2 which I also have, functionally the two are more or less on a par. The LN has a greater feel of solidity about it and is on the whole nicer to use, but is 3 times the price of the Stanley so it should be!

I also have a Veritas LA Block, which I use as a small bevel up smoother with the rear tote and front knob fitted. I think as a block plane in the conventional sense its a bit too big for my delicate hands, but as a small toted smoother its very useful.

If money was no object then LN 60 1/2, but otherwise go for the Stanley which in my view is not that far behind.

Ed


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## JohnCee (21 Mar 2012)

Old-ish Stanleys are fine, but the new ones I've seen recently have been utter rubbish.


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## Aled Dafis (21 Mar 2012)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> I also have a fondness for the little bronze LN #103, since it was the first new plane I had ever purchased. For years I thought it was a #102 since I had meant to purchase one at the time ... but did not read the label correctly (no reading glasses with me at the time!). I thought it planed end grain superbly ... and it was a shock when I eventually discovered it was a #103!
> 
> The larger, adjustable mouth block planes are, however, better. The #103 is great for breaking edges, but its coffin shape and narrower body mean that it cannot be used on a shooting board.
> 
> ...



That pic is the clincher for me, the Veritas Premiums are quite a bit longer than the LN, and the "standard" Veritas is wider. I have quite large hands, but find that the LN fits perfectly, I've used the standard Veritas in the past and it felt cumbersome compared to the LN. IMHO a block plane should be comfortable to hold and feel nimble in your hands. So if you hadn't worked it out by now, I'd definitely go for the LN! (or the Quangsheng if money is a little tight)

Cheers
Aled


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## Aled Dafis (21 Mar 2012)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> I also have a fondness for the little bronze LN #103, since it was the first new plane I had ever purchased. For years I thought it was a #102 since I had meant to purchase one at the time ... but did not read the label correctly (no reading glasses with me at the time!). I thought it planed end grain superbly ... and it was a shock when I eventually discovered it was a #103!
> 
> The larger, adjustable mouth block planes are, however, better. The #103 is great for breaking edges, but its coffin shape and narrower body mean that it cannot be used on a shooting board.
> 
> ...



That pic is the clincher for me, the Veritas Premiums are quite a bit longer than the LN, and the "standard" Veritas is wider. I have quite large hands, but find that the LN fits perfectly, I've used the standard Veritas in the past and it felt cumbersome compared to the LN. IMHO a block plane should be comfortable to hold and feel nimble in your hands. So if you hadn't worked it out by now, I'd definitely go for the LN! (or the Quangsheng if money is a little tight)

Cheers
Aled


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## yetloh (21 Mar 2012)

Aled Dafis":2nyyvlgl said:


> That pic is the clincher for me, the Veritas Premiums are quite a bit longer than the LN, and the "standard" Veritas is wider. I have quite large hands, but find that the LN fits perfectly, I've used the standard Veritas in the past and it felt cumbersome compared to the LN. IMHO a block plane should be comfortable to hold and feel nimble in your hands. So if you hadn't worked it out by now, I'd definitely go for the LN! (or the Quangsheng if money is a little tight)
> 
> Cheers
> Aled



If anyone needed a clincher for the view that it is a matter of personal taste and that there is no substitute for getting a feel for the tool in your hand, this is it. I have pretty average hands but am happy with the length of the DX/NX but prefer the extra width of the Stanley over the LN. My perfect block plane would probably be a slightly wider version of the NX - but I would have to hold it to confirm that and it seems unlikely that Aled's large hands would like it. The message is clear; the OP should visit a tool shop (or Derek's workshop!) where he can try them all.

Jim


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## Alf (22 Mar 2012)

I thought about posting my own similar comparison shot (also from my review - I swear, us tool reviewers have no originality at all! :lol , but decided not to because it's really a little misleading. It doesn't allow for either height or weight distribution. As Jim sez, nothing will really beat trying them for yourself.


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## matthewwh (23 Mar 2012)

Tony Spear":1o3nynm8 said:


> Not that you'll find cockles in Derbyshire! :mrgreen:



Sure you will, they're just fossilised ones from't triassic, a bit more crunchy but just as good!


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