Plane Blade Recommendations?

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

Richard R

>JL,

Hock offers both high carbon and A2 irons, Lee Valley only A2, I think. Although Hock is pretty much the standard choice for most, I'd wager that Lee Valley's irons are on par. Prices are roughly the same. You really can't go wrong with either choice.

As far as recommendations, I prefer HC over A2. Easier to sharpen and (IMHO) hones to a sharper edge. Some may argue that, but it doesn't matter, as either gets plenty sharp for our ww-ing purposes. Advantage that A2 has, is that it goes longer between honings.

Since you need two, and they're not expensive, why not get one of each and decide for yourself...

RR

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

Todd Stock

>LN and Hock (among others) make replacements in A2 cryo, etc. The Hocks require a bit more work to flatten, but are a few bucks less expensive.

What type/kind of planes?

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>If there Stanley�s, I'd go with Hock or LN's. As far as steel goes A2 is a little tougher to flatten and sharpen IMHO. I've never really had a problem with either. Also the improved chip breakers (cap irons) are a nice addition too.

Scott who needs to flatten and sharpen 4 recently acquired Hock irons...

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

LRobins

>I have heard that the Spehar blades are also very good.

Re: What type/kind of planes?

JL

>The aforementioned #3, the block plane (maybe) and a #4.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

Sternberg

>I would get a Hock, because I don't have one yet. I have 3 LNs, and 2 Veritas, and they are great. Next time I intend to try another guy, and see if he ain't pretty darn good too.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations? - Thanks all

JL

>As I am going to Highland Hardware for a seminar on Saturday, I will try a Hock on one of the planes. I don't think I will spring for the cryo-treated, unless someone has a convincing argument otherwise.

Which planes?

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

Re: Which planes?

JL

>Stanley #3, Craftsman #4 and a small block plane.

OK, I won't be much help then.

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>

I have a Spehar

Neal White (San Jose)

>and I like it a lot, altho I don't have a lot of miles on it. I came to me almost perfectly flat, and it seems to hold an edge as well as my Hock. Don't have a LV to compare.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>If you are planning to use the #3 or the #4 on a shooting board, then the Hock blades have a serious ergonomic disadvantage. Note that most blades for Bailey pattern and Bedrock pattern planes have the tail end corners of the blades cut off at an angle. On the other hand, Ron keeps his square. There is a very good reason for that additional manufacturing step that Ron leaves out. That square corner pokes you painfully right in the middle of the palm of your hand when you use the plane on its side and push it with your thumb resting behind the frog.

Re: I have a Spehar

Todd Stock

>I believe that Charlesworth did an aftermarket blade article way back when. Don't know if he's updated since; however, given the light-weight content of FWW lately, perhaps someone can interest them in an review article, or at least something other than MDF techniques and large pics of various glue containers.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

Joe Rogers

>Don't own a Hock yet but the shape did concern me some. Think it would be possible to grind a more ergonomic shape to the top of a hock blade? JR

Re: Which planes?

James Watriss

>How recent is the Stanley?

I have no idea how big the mouth is on the craftsman. I do know that on some recent planes, I've been able to get away with using bigger irons from Lie-Nielsen... the thicker ones they use in their own planes. They say there's an issue with the yoke not poking through enough to get to the chip-breaker, but I haven't found it to be too much of an issue. There is a small amount of increased backlash, due to the geometry involved, but whatever. But the mouths on some very recently made planes closed up very well. I did this to a record #4 and needed no filing to get the thick iron to fit in the mouth. I also used a 60's-70's stanley #3 to hold a L-N thick iron, and had to file out the mouth a little bit, but the iron allowed enough space for the yoke. I also used one of the new L-N chipbreakers on that plane. Works great.

Some folks will balk at filing. I have no idea what your own personal skill level is, so I won't necessarily recommend it, but one of the other advantages to having to file out is that if you have to file to get the blade through, you can make a VERY tight mouth on your planes if you're good... one that will help you make cleaner cuts in difficult wood.

(BTW... re: thick chipbreakers, Hock started making one that looks remarkably like the L-N ones, only with his normal profile... squared off.)

If it's an older stanley (and by "older," I'm talking way older than you... I have several that are older than 80 years) I would spring for any of the blades mentioned so far. And don't file it out to fit something huge. They're way too nice. I have a #3 and a #4 that are corrugated, and came with sweetheart blades. The machining to seat the frog is amazing. It's almost comparable to some of the modern high end planes I own. The frog sits very well on the bed, and it slides forward and back, but can't twist around as much. Awesome planes, and I can see why they're so well regarded.

In addition, and I haven't tried it out yet, but it's an idea, japanesewoodworker.com has some blue steel, bailey-style plane replacement blades I've been eyeing, and dying to try. They're apparently laminated in much the same way a regular japanese chisel or iron would be. I've heard such good things about the steel, I'm really curious to see how they'd handle.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>Sure, but it would have been a lot easier to have done it with a hacksaw before the blade was hardened. If you are not using it on a shooting board, or if you hold the plane differently than I do when you do use it on a shooting board, the blade shape is of no consequence.

Re: Plane Blade Recommendations?

paul womack

>Sure, but it would have been a lot easier to have done it with a hacksaw before the blade was hardened.

Are Hock blades hardened throughout, or only at the cutting end (below the Cap-iron hole) ?

BugBear

Re: Which planes?

JL

>How can you tell? It says Stanley on the cap iron, Stanley on the iron, Made in the USA on the body near where the frog seats, Bailey near the front knob and #3 in front of the front knob. The number had been obscured by dirt. I have no idea when my stepfather bought it. If I had to hazard a guess, it would have been in the early 60s. The #4 is a Craftsman, probably the same vintage.

Re: Which planes?

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>To figure it out, you need to consult a type study, for example the one for Stanley Bench Planes published in Walter's book. For a brief summary, try this:

Stanley Plane Dating Flowchart

Sorry, it won't help with dating the Craftsman.

Samauri

John Snyder, Pocono's PA

>The Samauri laminated blades in the Japan Woodworker catalog outperform Hock & every other conventional blade I've ever used ... without question. They don't cost much more than Hock last I ordered (but its been a while) ...

JS

i have a pair

John Truxell-Svenson (jvs)

>...with a similar take--very nice blades. The only downside is that the edges (sides and top--not the one that is *supposed* to be pointy) were razor sharp as delivered, but it only took a few extra minutes to ease them.

I went with STW because Vlad a) stocked 2 1/4" blades and cap irons for the No. 5 1/2 I needed them for, and b) was having a special. With a few miles on them now, I think that they are well worth the regular price, and that I got a steal.

Interesting cap iron design; about the same thickness as Hock or LN replacements, but with the same profile (hump) as a regular Stanley. The finish was perfect, and is actually nicer than either of the others. Works great, too, after only a bit more than the usual fettling.

/jvs

To Clarify ...

John Snyder, Pocono's PA

>... after re-reading my post, I bet many think I'm referring to the heavy laminated blades used in wooden planes. Not so. Samauri makes laminated blades to work in conventinal western iron bodied planes. Awesome blades ...

JS

Samurai Blades? *LINK*

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>I have heard about the Samurai blades in the past, but I thought that they were no longer available. I looked on the Japan Woodworker site (which is not the easiest to use), and could not find any Samurais, but I did find Tsunesaburo blades for a few different Stanley/Bailey/Record bench and block planes.


Tsunesaburo Laminated Plane Blades

Re: Samurai Blades?

John Snyder, Pocono's PA

>I wasn't aware the Samauri blades weren't available anymore. I'm sure those Tseu... (sp) blades are awesome if tradition has anything to do with it ... absolutely no doubt thats where my money would be going if I needed replacement blades ...

JS