Scraper holder vs. Cabinet scraper vs. Scraping plane

[Andy]

(I'm using names for these tools from the LV catalog, so you can search their website for pictures...) I have a card scraper that I'm learning to appreciate a great deal, and I'm wondering if its usefulness can be improved by mounting it in some kind of holder. Has anyone used multiple types of these holders? What do you recommend? The scraping plane is 3-4 times the price of the others, but it does look more comfortable/natural to use. The cabinet scraper, shaped like a spokeshave, has a shorter sole than the plane, and the scraper holder doesn't have a sole at all, but it looks more comfortable to hold than just the card. Are older versions of these (ie Stanleys that might be available on ebay) significantly cheaper but almost as good as new ones? Advice and opinions are appreciated, Andy

[Dave W]

If you are adept at using and sharpening a card scraper, you will love a cabinet scraper. It is much more comfortable and I find it better for flattening a large area like a dining room table. Scraper.....the most misunderstood tool in the shop. Dave

[Andy Dingley]

I find a #80 very useful and pretty cheap. Certainly better than taking one of my hand-held scrapers and trying to put it into a holder.

A #112 scraper plane is also an excellent device, although quite different. It's a specialised stock-removal tool, not a finishing tool. Mine is an old Stanley orignal and is a badly made dog. I usually use a friend's Lie-Nielsen, which is much better. I also have a #12, which isnt a patch on it - the #12 is too limited in use, because of the lack of control from the broomstick handle. If you reach too far with it across a large tabletop, then it doesn't have enough weight on it and it chatters horribly.

[George]

I like the one they sell at LV. Have used both handled scraper (#80?) and scraper plane (#112), but it's the Veritas scraper holder that I reach for. It fits pretty much everywhere and gives me the component relational stability I want.

Mark your scrapers by the type of edge you've turned to keep yourself from cutting glue with a fine one or touching up a surface with a huge curl.