One of the dealers I frequent carries several lines of hand planes. Since record went belly-up, he began carrying Stanley planes imported from the U.K. Are these better, worse, or the same as what I might buy at a local borg under the Stanley name? Visually, they don't look half bad with respect to fit and finish and the price ($40 for an adjustable mouth block plane) is tempting.
Bob
might buy
They're crap, just not quite as crap as the US ones. The bench planes aren't as good as Record (old stock is still common), but Record's block planes were shockingly bad.
#92s are OK though, and always were better than US Stanley.
Thanks, Andy. I'll pass on my temptation and head back toward the land of Lee Valley and Steve Knight.
Actually, I have had good experience with building my own plane (hock blade) and buying a couple of chinese wood bodied smoothers, but they were experimental purchases on my part.
Bob
Someone may correct me but I believe all the Stanley planes have been made in the UK for some time now. The bench planes are generally not made with the same quality as older US made planes, and besides, they have plastic handles. OTOH, a few here on the NG have reported good results with them after tuning.
I do have a modern manufacture Stanley low angle block plane that works pretty well, I think the model number is 12-060. I would say it's as good as a 60 1/2, but, if you look around you can probably find a decent 60 1/2 for less than $40.
To my great regret, I recommended that the Construction Trade School at which I teach carpentry ordered and bought several Stanley No 5 planes. They are crap.On some of them the frog cannot be adjusted because the webs between the frog seat on the base are preventing the frog sitting properly except in one position. All of them have curved soles; studnts trying to face and square a piece of wood end up with something that looks like a section from a very large cart wheel. One of he students was unable to make his plane cut. On inspection I found that the mouth was too narrow to allow the blade to protrude through the sole! The lateral adjusters are a piece of thin sheet metal pressing which bends in use, and also has cut the fingers of students. The cutters and back irons, however, are quite reasonable. A dozen of these planes, wrapped tightly in chain, would make fair anchor. I have advised the students to attend flea markets, garage sales and the like, to buy old Stanley, Record and Bedrock planes, and bring them in so that I can teach them how to fettle a plane. Iv've fettled my own planes, and perhaps I've gone a bit too far, because I've styled the handles and knops on the grips on a target rifle I was once shown. Anyone who is interestd can see them on the E.K.B.T.S. web site, I think they're on the "facilities" page. RTL
Hmmm, target rifle pattern, eh? Looks like a merger between vintage Stanley back end and Norris front knob. I had to hunt but finally found the web site and the picture.
Bob
extreme fettling. I can see it now- junkyard robot wars look out!
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