I just have to ask:

Re: I just have to ask:

RJ Whelan

>Steve ... I bought an Anant as a challenge. Having tuned and restored at least 100 Baileys and Records over the years I though I was pretty good.

Final score: Anant - 1; RJ - 0

About the best I could do was get it to work fairly well on soft wood - that was with a Hock iron and homemade breaker. The sole still had a significant hollow around the throat opening and I was afraid to remove any more material for fear of cracking the casting.

I saw a comparison in FWW several years ago and whoever wrote it had pretty good success with the Anant. I can only conclude that either I got a really bad one; or, he got a really good one.

I shouldn't really generalize after only working with one sample, but I assume you want to buy something that will really be useful and not just a challenge for your tuning skills.

Good luck - if you buy one I'd like to hear if your experience is more positive than mine was.

rj

Re: I just have to ask:

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Steve,

Well, I have to admit I just got one of their #10 clones myself. I guess the impulse was more of a collector thing than a user thing - but who knows. :) I read Highland Hardware's pitch with a high degree of skepticism - I basically expected a piece of junk.

However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The *plane*, IMO, is very well made. The ummm, A10, came with a flat-faced frog and a frog adjustment screw not to mention real wood handles. (Not sure what *kind* of wood - but wood none the less.) The machining looked well done as well. The only fault I found with the plane was a little of the japanning flaked off the frog - not a problem to me. I haven't had a chance to see how flat the sole is yet. I can't speak for any of the other Anant planes - but the A10 looks pretty good.

OTOH, the *blade* is a piece of crap. As I held the plane up to look at it from the side, I could see daylight between the blade and the frog. I figured the frog wasn't flat and I'd have to flatten it. When I put a straight edge on the frog, it was flat - all the way across - top to bottom. Then I checked the blade with the cap iron on and it was bowed upward - so that it wouldn't seat against the frog except at the tip. When I took the cap iron off and checked it, it bowed in the other direction.

The Anant plane I have is not even close to the quality of the modern LN, LV or Clifton - but it looks to me as good as the older Stanleys. IMO, if the rest of their planes are made like the A10, they would appear to be much better than the modern line of Stanleys - although that might be damning them with faint praise.

If you decide to buy one - plan on upgrading to a better blade.

Skip

was at Highland Hardware...

John Longwitz-Doraville, GA

>...for their Anniversary sale. They had all the Anant planes on the clearance table. Don't know if it means they're dropping the line or what.

Re: I just have to ask:

CONGER - The Irish diaspora in Munich

>"Or should Ijust save my pennies for a Lie-Nielsen bench rabbet? "

YES.

-g-

Footprint planes? *LINK*

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, Florida

>Perhaps there is another alternative to the high-priced brands. I was web surfing and noticed that Woodworkers Supply is selling Footprint brand chisels and planes. I believe that Footprint used to be a reputable UK firm. Perhaps one of our UK friends can comment on the current production.


Footprint Planes at Woodworkers Supply

North of the 49th.....

Steve Kubien

>The Orange Borg carries the Footprint planes. I would not waste your time. The casting is rough, the tote, knob and adjuster wheel are all plastic. The feed mechanism is sloppy to say the least. The soles of the ones I have looked at will require the work of a good machinist at the very least. Ritual sacrifices to some god may be needed.

But that's just my opinion.

Steve Kubien

Ajax, Ontario

remove the _9 to email

Re: North of the 49th.....

Frank D. in Montreal

>Ditto,

My first plane was a Footprint. Not being the nostalgic type, I gave it away. Didn't want to risk any liablility or lose a friendly neighbor in case I sold it.

Frank

Re: Footprint...

paul womack

>Just like Record, Stanley and the rest of the old "big names", Footprint quality is not what it was. And it WAS good.

I still see them around in the hardware stores, but haven't picked one up for a detailed look.

Between GOOD old Records, Woden and Marples, and GOOD Clifton, Veritas and Lie Nielsens, I'm not very interested in modern Footprint, Stanley, Record (Irwin) etc.

BugBear

Thanks, guys...

Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, Florida

>I had not planned to buy one, but I wondered whether they were worth recommending to the frugal, old-tool-challenged buyer.

Re: I just have to ask:

John, NY

>It's not going to replace my lust for a LN #10 but it has satiated it for a while. It does the job with little fettling required. I was impressed with it for the money I paid for it. Mine was flat and with a little honing on the iron was ready for use.