Gentle Galoots,

Today was a PNTC* meeting day, and I went looking for block planes with the
longer/wider bed. One that I came home with was a Stanley #60-1/2. After
sharpening it up I ran some side-by-side tests with my other low-angle block
planes including a black 1990s Made-in-England model that I remember buying new
in a big-box store, a maroon Stanley #60-1/2, and another black one that looks
just like a Stanley #60-1/2 but has no markings on it whatsoever. Maybe a clone?
All but the most-recent-acquisition have the narrower bed.

Perhaps my most-recent acquisition needs a bit more fettling, but so far my
favorite of the 4 is the 1990s Made-In-England version. But then I have replaced
its original iron with a Hock iron. Perhaps the extra thickness and overall
quality of the Hock iron make up for the narrower bed support of the plane?


Having said that, none of them performs as well as my Veritas Low Angle Block
Plane with a PM-V11 iron. I picked that up in a Lee Valley store on a trip to
Vancouver, BC last year. Visiting a Lee Valley Store in person is quite an
experience, as I'm sure our Canadian bretheren will attest. Highly recommended.
Fortunately I live not far south of the Canadian border.


I looked at a Stanley #65 with the knuckle-joint cap, and that got me to
thinking that I needed a block plane with a knuckle-joint cap. The #65 was in
good condition and fairly priced, but I didn't want to spend that much. I ended
up buying a Stanley #19, like a Stanley #18 but a bit longer (7" vs. 6" in
length). The #19 just felt better in my hand than the #18 right next to it on
the dealer's table. When I want a smaller plane I can just reach for a #60-1/2.


I'm thinking about turning one of my standard-bed-angle block planes into a
small smoother for difficult grain by regrinding the bevel of the iron to 30
degrees. That would give me a York pitch cutting angle (20 degree bed angle + 30
degree bevel). Anybody tried that?

Chuck Taylor
north of Seattle

* PNTC = Pacific Northwest Tool Collectors