Thread: Hand planes

Ok, so my “big cull” is underway & there are a few planes that are excess to requirements which need to find new homes. Prices do not include postage.

1. English Stanley #4, circa 1960s. $80

This was my go-to smoother for many years. It’s a circa 1960s model by my reckoning, it came with beech tote & knob which I replaced with black wattle, a bit less bland than the beech. The tote is more shapely, like the old rosewood totes and the front knob is modelled after the flat-topped “low” knobs fitted up to the 1920s. The blade is an early Lee Valley (no markings because LV didn’t brand them at that time), & being thicker, it gives the plane a nice, solid feel. There is still at least 85% of life left in it. The cap-iron is a bit pitted over the exposed area, but bright & clean over the toe & arch where it matters, and the mating edge is watertight – it is a good performer . The sole has the usual superficial scratches from use but is otherwise in excellent shape. The blade alone is probably worth more than half the asking price, but the plane is superfluous to my needs & I would rather see it find a home where it will get used than just taking up space.

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2. Record 05. $60

I bought this plane a long time ago, planning to fettle it up for my own use, but I acquired an old 5 ½ about the same time & somehow it just became the favourite & the 05 has seen little use. I got as far as adding custom woodwork (in she-oak). It came with a Stanley blade, & I’m not sure the chip breaker is original (it has no markings), but it is in very good condition fits perfectly so the adjuster operates as it should. The plane works well enough as-is, but could be improved with a bit of attention to details, & I reckon a thicker after-market blade would do it much good.

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3. Veritas apron plane. $65

This was my favourite little block plane until it got displaced by one of my own manufacture, now it just sits forlornly in the cupboard & sees no action. It is in excellent condition, the (A2) blade has been lightly re-ground to refresh the bevel maybe twice & is very little reduced from new..

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4. Norris A5 $300

This is a late-model A5. These were not infilled with rosewood, instead, other hardwoods, typically beech or mahogany (this one has a mahogany tote & beech side-cheeks & front bun), were use & finished with a rosewood-coloured lacquer. Some owner before me had stripped the finish (quite likely because it was cracked & peeling) and put something else on it that made it look worse, imo, but fortunately, it came off easily with some solvent & caused no damage to the wood. I decided to not try & make it look like something it isn’t, gave the woodwork a few light coats of shellac & left it at that.
The plane is in good condition, with some very minor rust here & there. The woodwork is tight & solid as a rock. It is a good plane but it is superfluous to needs (I have one or two other infills!). The adjuster has very little backlash, a sign of being treated with care, and the blade has heaps of life left in it. So if you have ever wanted the British infill plane experience, this is your chance, I think you would be unlikely to find one in as good condition at this price (I’m asking less than half what I paid for it).

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