Which block plane????????

[yetloh]

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

 

[Alf]

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.

 

[matthewwh]

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!