Lie Nielsen or Clifton 5 1/2?

[pgrbff]

I know older Stanley and Record are good but I'm not in the UK and buying from likes of eBay UK and importing simply make it too difficult and expensive.
The LN and Clifton will work out more or less the same price and both are available.
Which should I buy?

 

[Ttrees]

One is made out of ductile iron, the other isn't.
Do they both weigh the same?
Many have said these premium planes to be too heavy......

Though being a no.5 1/2, and with sides actually square,
this might not be a terrible thing, and the greater area of the LN might make a
very small percentage difference (for one who's looking for problems)

I wouldn't be devastated if someone swapped my vintage Stanley 5 1/2 shooter for a LN version,
and could be a small bit less careful with it, having my shooting board often on the end of the bench.

Why do Clifton still make gray cast iron, and do they also offer ductile, perhaps if even for the block plane, it would be nice to know.

Lastly the choice may be the sharpening media you choose, L-N's A2 steel not being favourable with oilstones, and with such thick irons might not make finding something with say 01 or whatever favourable steel that will sharpen without glazing yer oil stone, (should that be your preference)


That's my 2 cents,
Tom

 

[Blackswanwood]

Clifton - they are manufactured in the UK.

 

[Vann]

It's six of one, and half a dozen of the other.

Both are damned good planes. I like the looks of the Lie-Nielsen better, but not the A2 blade - probably for that reason I would select the Clifton.

Don't worry about the grey cast-iron - there's a short video somewhere of a Clifton No.7 being thrown from the height of a one storey building, and surviving. They're pretty robust.

None-the-less I have rubber mats on the concrete floor of my workshop. It's good for my feet, and extra insurance in case I drop one of my Cliftons, my Lie-Nielson (A1 blade), or any of my classic Record planes.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[pgrbff]

I have 4 LN including a bronze 4.5 and a long angle 62 which is very nice to use. I have never seen or held a CLifton so maybe I don't know what I am missing.

 

[johnnyb]

I would avoid a2 irons.(hence prefer veritas) the qaungsheng are blooming good planes with really great irons.( if there available.

 

[Vann]

...qaungsheng are blooming good planes with really great irons...

But made in a country with too many balloons.
But I have heard than their W1 irons are great, too.

Cheers, Vann.

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

I know older Stanley and Record are good but I'm not in the UK and buying from likes of eBay UK and importing simply make it too difficult and expensive.
The LN and Clifton will work out more or less the same price and both are available.
Which should I buy?

If can't get your end why not try from Germany or Eastern Europe? as many out there and all in Euro.
Place in Holland sells stuff and Czech has Luban and other stuff i keep seeing.
How much is it to get from here? If your talking about Ebay global nonsense programme forget that as pants hear so many problems from either side.
Best way is get someone this side to get and either post or you request plus even better if someone venturing French etc way

As they say more ways to kill cat other than choking it with goldfish!.

Ive a Stanley 5 1/2 which is more or less surplus as have my Millars Falls in 5.5&a bit(Not sure which bit! works out roughly 5 1/4?)and 6 so they cover that area plus have 4's and 41/2 in MF also. the Stanley isn't old but not new type so still reasonable it has ribs on top/inside base but will go cheap just have retrieve from friends shed

 

[johnnyb]

the only other plane I really thought was amazing was the record version. this one had rosewood handles and was in lovely nick.

 

[Hornbeam]

I have a clifton 5 1/2 and it is truly excellent. I generally prefer larger planes an would say that or a record no6 are my go to planes unless it is something very small I am working on. Also consider the Veritas, range. I have never used the bench planes but there shoulder planes are the best I have used

 

[Adam W.]

I'd get a Lie Nielsen, but I'm a tart.

 

[thetyreman]

I would get the LN if you can afford it

 

[deema]

I used to have a full set of LN planes that I sold a few years back to a good friend. The reason was that I have large hands and I found LV to be a better fit to my hands. I’ve just looked up the price of LN…..Holly cow, what I can say is that in the last five years they must have doubled in price! Clearly a good investment, and now makes me wish I still had mine……better than putting money in the bank, shares etc!!

 

[G S Haydon]

If you want your 5 1/2 extra heavy get the Clifton.

Heavy, get the Lie-Nielsen

Best overall, a good vintage Bailey.

 

[1275gt]

If buying unseen from ebay is putting you off there are many sites that sell refurbished old stanley/records which are good to go. I'm sure if you dropped them an email they would be happy to help.

I mentioned in the other thread I love my record 5 1/2.

For your lie-neilsen, clifton query i would go with the one which offers the best aftercare/service available to you.

PFA
The shaving I just pulled from some beech with my record.

 

[pgrbff]

If you want your 5 1/2 extra heavy get the Clifton.

Heavy, get the Lie-Nielsen

Best overall, a good vintage Bailey.

I'd be happy with a good vintage Bailey but I would recognise one. Virtually all of the 5 1/2 s I see are described as vintage.

 

[Jameshow]

I'd be happy with a good vintage Bailey but I would recognise one. Virtually all of the 5 1/2 s I see are described as vintage.

When did they stop making 5 1/2??

Pre plastic handles obviously?

 

[Ginlow]

The grey iron thing is a bit of a misnomer though, there's a vast difference in purity and casting and heat-treating against the DIY and some old Stanley's. Someone mentioned earlier about the old Clifton dropped from stepladders on to concrete with no damage.

A few pros for grey:
-thermal stability is much better
-Less likely to deform as it's not a malleable steel like ductile
-more liquid in casting for thin parts.

I can attest to some of this, regarding malleability. I have a Veritas I dropped and it lumped up next to the mouth like a puddle ripple almost. Impressive it didn't crack but equally screwed, sanded down ok but think the whole things twisted slightly.

This also isn't info I searched for on wiki. I contacted Clifton and had a reply from their foundry and the grey iron is worlds apart from your box store junk.

I think there's some good marketing out there and some miss information from companies. I don't think there's anything in it with modern quality planes I think it's what's available in terms of steel and their setup.

Also the numbers in tensile strength some companies are peddling are like holding bridges up not pushing a plane. At them stress points the steels moving all over.

Sorry, thought I'd share some of my research, I won't be dropping my beautiful Clifton to check haa

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Love to know what you buy in the end

 

[pgrbff]

Love to know what you buy in the end

I'm not finding it easy to decide. LN to me is a known quantity, I have never seen a Clifton in the flesh. It would be nice to buy British but I would need to know it was the right choice for me.