New hand plane + small dent

[Noho12C]

Hi all,

I'm looking for some advises from long term hand planes users...

I bought last saturday a low angle jack from Veritas, at Axminster. when I arrived home, I unpacked it and saw that there was a very small dent on the front on the plane, on the edge (dent is about half a mm long and deep - so definitely not huge). I have been using the plane during the week end, and the dent doesnt leave any mark on the wood.

So my main concern is that the plane has been kick on something, and could be slightly out of square. I did check with a square edge, and the back of the sole seems to be perfectly square and flat, though in the toe, i can see a very small line of light going through (0.25 mm).

I dont know if that is normal or not... Am I being too extrem ?

Do you think I should ask for the plane to be changed, or is totally ok ?

Thanks in advance for you advises !

Chris.

 

[Harbo]

If you bought it new, it shouldn't have any defects so take it back.
It would have been better not to have used it though as they could say you have damaged it?

Rod

 

[Noho12C]

thanks for your feed back. Indeed, should have gone there again and asked for a replacement. (though nuneaton isnt close by...)

I just dropped them an email. I'll keep you informed : )

 

[Noho12C]

ok, just got a reply from them to arrange the pick up of the plane. and they said they will send a new one once they received the faulty one : )

 

[adidat]

Axminster are very good in this situation. Also veritas have a very strict quality control system. The once sent my college a large box of there seconds and it was very hard to find and blemishes etc.

Adidat

 

[D_W]

I have dropped one of their planes before on concrete and other than a broken handle and a spot to file off, the plane was fine. Point being, that anything that would put a dent that small in it wouldn't have a chance of knocking it out of square or flat.

The trouble to back-and-forth the plane for a new one would've been more of a problem to me than a tiny ding. Sooner or later, it will bump into another plane and have worse, at least one would hope to give it enough use to bruise it a little bit here and there.

 

[AndyT]

I'd say the same as D_W. It's a tool for use, and in its working life it's bound to pick up minor knocks and marks which won't affect its performance at all. But if it matters enough to you to ask to swap it, full marks to Axminster for doing what their customer wants them to.

 

[D_W]

I do understand the other side of the matter, though, that it's a premium plane and you are paying for a product that is perfect or very near it. And I'm sure there are people who collect them or buy one and get a second to collect who will only settle for an unmarked tool. I kind of like to get the first dent/nick/scratch out of the way, but i have bought a fair number of premium used tools from others in the past and it was clear that they were kept carefully rust free and as perfect as possible.

 

[Harbo]

I like to keep my tools in good order but they do get used and damage happens - my Holtey has a ding when it missed my rubber floor mat and chose the concrete instead!!
Hasn't affected it performance which is the main thing.

Rod