Out of the box, this tool was not usable. The blade was dull and dished; the sole was a bit rough and slightly dished, too. After a couple of hours' flattening, sharpening, and fettling, the plane worked pretty well. I tested it by making a rabbet in a piece of red oak (just to get the feel of the tool) and it worked well. After shaving down a 1/4" rabbet, the blade needed re-sharpening, but that's not surprising. This is not a Veritas plane, so don't expect anything close to perfection, but it's an adequate tool that -- after a bit of initial work and proper set-up -- can be made to perform satisfactorily at a fraction of the cost of the Veritas equivalent. Read more

I have to admit that I thought this plane would be a toss up based on reading mixed reviews. Other testimonies may have been based on poor examples or the writers were very demanding tool aficionados. My copy was excellent in every way except for my particular sharpening regimen. The finish was precision ground to an impeccable finish and perfectly square checked to my machinist’s square. Barely a fine sliver of light shown through from a shop light behind it. I could have used the plane out of the box without any fettling but I did want to see how close the angle was and it was within a degree. A little rough grind but was fine after a while on a 1000-grit stone and some strapping. The description I read stated a 55-60 Rockwell and I believe it. I’ve got some Vintage Sheffield chisels that sharpen faster. I found that the alignment pins on the fore piece were so precise that they were almost an interference fit . . . Impressive. As others have mentioned an Allen key was not included with mine as well. A 5mm hex key like the many one has in their loose singles jar fits just fine. I’d buy another but I don’t think there is much of a chance I’ll outlive this one. Read more

This is not a Lee-Nielson plane, so I did not expect it to perform as well as one. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality. The sole is flat, which is super important. The blade needs work, which is true of just about every plane right out of the box, but once lapped and sharpened it holds an edge well. My only complaint is that the blade is exactly the width of the body. On high end shoulder planes, the blade is very slightly wider than the body, which allows you to easily plane right up to the shoulder when trimming a tenon. Overall, I am very happy with this, and will buy more tools from this company. Read more

The shipping took forever and the customs fees were outrageous. The tool itself took a fair amount of work to get into a working state. The blade isn't great quality and a little soft. Read more

Caveat - I am NOT a professional woodworker by any stretch. That said, I really love this shoulder plane. Solid construction, the blade was extremely sharp out of the box. I did remove it and perform all the recommended cleaning/flattening/sharpening but honestly did not need to; totally was usable (for me) as delivered. Machined surface is nice, the seam for the bullnose attachment is tight and fits well. The blade is a bit close tot he throat opening but so far not a problem for me, the hobbyist. Great plane, great price. Read more