Greetings...
I have been using a #3 Clifton smoother for the past few years, and it has been one of the best planes I have owned, but recently the edge of the iron seems to be crumbling, almost right after honing, the first few passes leaves a wonderful glossy surface to the timber, then the edge seems to fail, it feels like tiny chips are coming from the edge...leaving a surface that looks and feels ragged, with lines left after each pass, I thought it may be grit or dirt left in the ends of the lumber, but my shopmade smoother ( with 1/4" thick Knight Toolworks iron ) leaves no such marks on the same wood, with no chunks missing from the edge...so I am wondering if I have a defective iron, or maybe someone else is having the same trouble...
thanks for your time...
DCH