charlie belden
>"It is heavy, egonomically flawed, but it does shave in a controllable fashion."

While that is trueof most shoulder planes - gripping/holding positions awkward as hell when on its side - the Veritas medium and full sized should planes significantly reduced the gripping problem with a swiveling knob on the back that fits between thumb and forefinger, a nice in the palm of your hand rear "handle" to push against - a bevel to eliminate the sharp corner of the opening around the iron so you can put a finger in the opening for an additional gripping location - and, on the full sized shoulder plane - another knob on the side of the plane near the front - which can be mounted on either side of the plane.

Veritas keeps improving on Tried & True design ideas - their shoulder planes being yet another example. Very innovative designers - and their stuff looks nicer too.