Anyone ever bought a Bridge City Plane?
jmc
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Has anyone is this group ever bought a Bridge City Plane??? I see references to Lie-Nielsen, Norris, Bailey, etc. but never a Bridge City. The reason I ask is I received the flyer for the new plane and they have a new cap iron that is supposed to eliminate chatter by pressing down on the blade and flexing it slightly. You can also change the thickness of your shavings by .001-.002″ from the flex. Any thoughts on this. Are the planes any good? The price is $795 so it should be spectacular, eh!
Thanks
John
Replies
Hi jmc,
I've not purchased any of their tools (except their CAD software..which ROCKS!), but I'm sure they're very good.
I'm quite certain that you don't get the same return on investment for the higher price paid. As I understand, Bridge City makes their tools without consideration for cost, produces limited editions, limited sets, etc, etc.
If you're what I call a "gentleman woodworker" who values tools more than the work they do..and want pretty, limited edition, rosewood-infill tools, then Bridge City may be the best option.
If you want tools that work hard and work well, lots of good tools out there with lower prices. And NEVER confuse the price of the tool with how well it will serve you. So often the "crux" in all of this is to learn how to adjust, dial in, and use the tool.
Consider some of the expensive hand-made Japanese chisels made by single makers from old ship-anchor-iron...laminated steel....White Oak handles...etc, etc.... They cost a lot and come ready for YOU to sharpen, for YOU to insure that they're set up and well maintained and for YOU to insure that you're using correctly. It ultimately depends on your knowledge and skill..at least as much as the tool.
Ultimately, IMHO, it depends on whether you want to look at the tool and bask in the pride of ownership (which is perfectly legitimate..just a different goal) or use the thing day-in and day-out and get quality results.
I own Lie Nielsen and Veritas planes and have been happy with them all....as soon as I honed them, learned the intricacies of adjusting and then learned how to use them properly.
Good luck!
My $.02.
Larry Pile
They may be local here in Portland, but I think I'll have to wait until the NASDAQ hits 5,000 again before buying one of their planes. And that will probably not be anytime soon.
They look incredible, but so does their price.
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