USA vs UK Stanley iron

My experience

jimreed@tallahassee

>is that both the US and UK irons are too soft. They all seem to vary widely between planes. I often test with a pocketknife point. The blade will usually make a scratch easily near the top (not hardened) and make less of a scratch as it moves toward the business end. On some blades, the blade will skitter off at the tip and on others it will dig in. When you remember that the plane blades were produced on two continents, in the millions, and for over a hundred years, you can understand that quality why quality and hardness are all over the board.

I think ...

Ed Thomas, Leaside (Toronto) Ontario

>Derek was referring to the iron used for the plane bodies, not the blades?

Let me be more clear ..

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Yes, Ed is correct. I meant the cast iron of the plane bodies, not the steel of the blades (which we affectionately - ? - refer to as "iron").

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Let me be more clear ..

John Horobin

>I've noticed this as well. The old cast iron also seems much less prone to rust. Duticle iron on the new planes really does seem to rust very, very easily.

John

Re: Let me be more clear ..

Richard A. Gillespie, Jr.

>I'm no expert, but based on the nearly 40 iron body planes I have, the hardness of the sole varies all over the place. Sargent Planes and Craftsman Planes made by Sargent have the hardest soles of any I own. Therefore, I dread trying to flatten any of those. The Miller Falls seem consistently soft. Of the Stanley's and clones the hardness varies all over the place. You can pick up two Stanley's and have one hard and one not.

Re: Let me be more clear ..

Patrick Gibbons, Bayou City, TX

>I've had the same experience with all new planes, ductile or gray iron. Rust comes easier to the new than the old. I believe it's because the old planes have oxidized- the patina- to the point where they are less susceptible to the effects of moisture.

Re: Let me be more clear ..

John Horobin

>The newer planes that also have softer iron are also scratched more easily by the wood I find. A 1920's Stanley #5 is hardly marked on the sole, even though I use it more.

John