Because a 65 is a low angle
Scott Burr Ben Lomond,CA
>plane. It works bevel up (for all that don't know this). A low bevel angle like that is what I've seen in a lot in old Staley planes. It's what I'll call "the carpenter's grind" for lack of a term. Follow me here. You have a low angle block plane and your working doug fir or some other shi*%y soft wood, sorry... let's say "construction grade lumber". You sharpen as you go and all you want are results. Something that will get the job done. It's easier to lower the bevel when sharping "on the go" to get the results needed in the trade (i.e. planning wood of that caliber).
Hence the rust IMHO a carpenters plane, probably road around the back of an old 50's chevy truck (lucky plane). Just start getting the bevel back to where you want it to where you want it to be. Heck it might be a micro bevel a that point, but it sounds like that's what you want. I can't see how you'd end up loosing a lot of bevel (or blade) by brining it back up.
Scott... Who's aquired a Matherson blade that looks like a factory grind at 15 deg iron for my Spires smoother. That will cut thru anything...for the first few strokes anyway...
