Sargent block plane

Re: sage advice

John in New Mexico

I like the DX-60 a lot. Lucky for me the NX-60 was unavailable when I was feeling rich enough to splurge on a plane like that, so I ended up with the DX and a PMV-11 blade for it. Usually I don't like the Veritas design aesthetic much - I don't doubt the often reported superior ergonomics, but I don't like the looks. Not so on these block planes, I find them very handsome.

Sharpening the blade I just do my usual routine - hollow grind, hone on carborundum and a couple passes on a buffing wheel (I prefer a harder felt wheel than I see reported for unicorning, but its also the wheel I have so I prefer using it). If not buffing I do a few passes on an arkansas stone.

Re: sage advice

Steve D, in CT

If you send your money to Wood River, whoever that is, you will assure a continued stream of copies of Lie Nielsen's most popular models. If you send your money to Lie Nielsen you will fund the release of a potentially less popular but risky item like a #9 miter plane, #7 low angle jointer, lock mortise chisel, or vise hardware.

You will never see a low volume product from one of the Chinese copiers because they will never have an original thought or take a risk. That is how they keep costs down. That and using substandard materials.

My dad was a WWII vet and my mom worked in a factory whose production was shifted to war production. We have moved so much production out of the country to pay for executive bonuses (for making those "tough decisions") that there is no longer any production to divert in an emergency. Witness the inability to get PPE and ventilators at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. If WWII happened today we'd be totally screwed.

I've spent my career in manufacturing and watched a lot of factories close. I'll pick one American tool over two Chinese ones any day of the week.