The designers of this tool broke all of the old molds and started from scratch to make a unique, no-nonsense, purely functional tool. The unorthodox grip—three circular depressions milled into each side of the body—fits comfortably in the hand, and the wide body enables the tool to cover a lot of ground.

One of the features unique to this tool is that two setscrews near the plane’s throat can be used to center the blade precisely. All lateral adjustment occurs at the rear of the blade. Lateral adjustment and depth of cut are both produced using one knob, much like vintage Norris planes, and the Veritas had the least amount of backlash of the planes we reviewed.

I found the lateral and depth adjustments to be extremely precise, tight, and responsive. The adjustable throat functions smoothly. Simply loosen the knurled knob to open and close the throat.

The body is made of ductile cast iron, which makes the tool durable and stable. The 1/8-in.-thick blade is seated securely on a large, accurately machined bed. The blade is made of A2 steel, an alloy that is reputed to take a keen edge and hold it longer. In our tests the blade held up well, but it was not noticeably superior.

The Veritas was nearly ready to use right out of the box. The sole required minimal lapping, and the blade needed to be slightly rehoned for my use. Among my review group, the Veritas was lauded hands-down as the best value, dollar-for-dollar, on the market.

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