Choosing a shoulder plane
Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)
>Esteemed and all-knowing brethren,
I am looking for a shoulder plane to add to my arsenal. At present I have an older Stanley #93 (1" wide), which has proved to be a useful performer. In the same vein, I also have a Stanley #140 with LN blade.
The options (those planes available locally) now include a HNT Gordon (3/4" wide) or Clifton 410 (18mm wide). What are the pros and cons of these two shoulder planes?
The most obvious difference is that the Gordon is bevel down and the Clifton is bevel up. I'm trying to work out which one has the lower cutting angle (better for cutting the end grain on tenon shoulders?).
Your opinions and experience here would help greatly.
Kind regards from Perth
Derek