Thread: HNT A55 Trying plane (Jointer)

I bought from the forums a HNT Gordon A55 trying plane, one made in solid ebony.

... I'm not selling it, I just like making it known!

But in all seriousness this would be the last plane I would sell.

Haha good to know! I'm hoping someone doesn't love theirs as much. There's on on eBay in the US but is priced that it's not worth my while to get it here. Better off giving the money to Terry directly

Thanks for the feedback. Lines up with my thoughts of the Jack plane I have setup as a smoother now

Geez CGCC, thats rough!

How on earth did I miss this sale! I must have been kidnapped by aliens that week..... Limited Edition HNT Gordon A55 Smoother & Trying plane (Mac Ebony)

That was the one. It was still expensive but is probably the single tool I own that is genuinely a unique, heirloom quality item.

Here is a photo of where it lives (on the partly-built plane till), together with my Veritas shooting plane and No 7 jointer as the big boys.

I use it - but only really to refine/smooth long board or panels while maintaining or improving flatness. The scraper function is also very good - it's not so much the scraping function itself (which does not do any better than a well-sharpened card scraper) but doing so while improving or maintaining dead flatness. I like the scraping function particularly for panels where the grain changes direction between laminations. You can just go across the board any which way without fear.

PXL_20201011_210232826 (1).jpg

... are we just torturing OP at this stage?

I would say - I also bought a new HNT Gordon smoothing plane, in the style with the wooden handle and wedge (ie, not the A55 angle with the treaded adjustment).

I was a bit leery on the adjustment with the wedge and tapping because I like the precision and sneaking up on depth that you get with a threaded adjuster.

But honestly they're a dream. I'd consider the non-A55 trying plane now if you were buying. Being able to pull the plane effectively like a Japanese kanna , together with the really light weight (compared to metal plane) really is a treat.

Originally Posted by Cgcc

I would say - I also bought a new HNT Gordon smoothing plane, in the style with the wooden handle and wedge (ie, not the A55 angle with the treaded adjustment).

I was a bit leery on the adjustment with the wedge and tapping because I like the precision and sneaking up on depth that you get with a threaded adjuster.

But honestly they're a dream. I'd consider the non-A55 trying plane now if you were buying. Being able to pull the plane effectively like a Japanese kanna , together with the really light weight (compared to metal plane) really is a treat.

Just to be clear....yes now this is a tease haha.. but its fine just reinforcing my direction of plane to buy so its ok

Yeah can see the benefit of the threaded adjuster but have heard amazing things about the 60 degree nature of the wedge fit, also my wedge fit jack/smoother currently takes amazingly light shavings which ive quickly adjusted to using the hnt mallet to do so. super impressed so yeah the heading of this post should probably have the a55 portion removed. If i cant get the Trying/jointer wedge 2nd hand from this forum then ill go new.

Turning my no4 and 5 stanley into scrub planes and using the HNT's for the fine finishing sounds good to me

Thanks for the photos tho, fantastic collection

There is one on Facebook marketplace. Glenbrook NSW.

Completely unexpectedly I've found one from a forum member. I knew I should have asked on here, would prefer to pass on money to a forum member then eBay etc.

Thanks for everyone's help

Cheers
Nathan