Clifton is a maker of hand tools in Sheffield, England, a historic mecca for steel- and tool-making. Each of the Clifton planes has a cast-iron body, which is ground and polished. The lever caps are made from unbreakable, malleable iron. The machining of the Clifton 420 was of high quality. The soles and sides of the plane were straight and true.

The 1/8-in.-thick blades, made from oil-hardened tool steel, contributed to a solid, chatter-free cut. Blade adjustments are made by knurled captive nuts that engage the blade via a slot in its back. Although smooth and precise, with minimal backlash (slop), the nuts inadvertently slightly altered the blade’s lateral position. The wide blades on the Clifton planes require them to be set either to the left or to the right for use. To avoid this adjustment, the blades can be ground narrower.

The Clifton 420 is an excellent general-purpose shoulder plane, well suited for a wide variety of trimming and tuning tasks. Its moderate weight and narrow body made it easy to grasp. The tool’s tall profile provided good clearance from obstructions for the palm and fingers, while its lever cap served as a comfortable palm rest and, in certain situations, could be grasped as a handle. However, it was not as easy to hold while the plane was used on its side to shoot tenon shoulders. The tool’s narrow mouth helped minimize torn grain and made nice end-grain and cross-grain shavings possible.

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