Thread: The Marcou S15/BU Smoother - Reviewed

OK - back to the woodwork.

Now that Derek has posted the review I can thank him properly for allowing me to take part. Thanks are also due to Peter Byrne. Both these blokes are true plane experts. I had a thoroughly enjoyable day in Derek's workshop trying out a bunch of different planes and talking woodwork with a pair of fellow enthusiasts.

It was a really good day, talking and using planes and making a heap of shavings.

The Marcou plane is an absolutely magnificent piece of workmanship. It's a wonderful thing that there are still craftsmen around who are capable of the level of dedication and skill required to hand-build something so thoroughly impressive. It's equally wonderful that Lee Valley, Lie Nielsen et al are making bigger production runs of excellent tools in this age when we are becoming accustomed to a lowering of standards in tool-making.

Lee Valley, in particular, are at the forefront of plane-making because they are not only making high-quality tools in decent numbers at affordable prices but they are also re-designing and re-inventing woodworking tools. They rightly get a lot of kudos for the excellence of their service. We should occasionally give air to their product development too.

In the review, at Dereks' request, I made a choice between the Marcou and the Lee Valley BUS. I chose the LV plane. Part of this choice came down to the way the plane looks and feels - very subjective issues. But part of the choice was influenced by my admiration for the work that Lee Valley has done and is doing in advancing the art and the technology of hand planes.

Philip Marcou is doing something similar, of course. The fine details of the design of his smoothing plane have been well thought-out and contain some innovations. But I think he would probably acknowledge the modern pioneering work that Lee Valley are demonstrating with their bevel-up planes

Col

Derek,

I enjoyed reading your review. They say you learn something new every day. I certainly did today.

I found the review informative and entertaining.

Thanks and cheers

Buzzer