Denis Chénard, Orléans, Ont.
>Well, boiling was probably too strong a word...

I'm confused as what you refer to as "sweetheart". Do you mean the sweetheart era itself, or do you refer to Bailey vs. Bedrock?

Those laminated steel blades do have a good reputation. Never tried them, though.

As for Groz, I didn't want to imply that they're on par with vintage Stanleys in terms of quality, but they can be made to work quite well. About a month ago I bought an Award #4 (another Indian manufacturer) that was on sale for $17. I couldn't resist, I had to check out how bad it was. Turned out that this plane required very little fettling to perform quite well.

It is true that buying a new plane from the quality manufacturers doesn't make one proficient in its use, but it removes one variable from the equation. Whether that's a good thing is debatable, but the new plane will get the beginner on the road to wispy shavings faster.

I know a guy, owner of many vintage Stanley planes, very proficient in their use and care, who ended up buying a Veritas LA jack after trying mine. To me that says a lot...

In the end we can choose to differ, nothing here worth starting a gunfight over, I thought it worthy to express a differing point of view.

Take care,

DC