I’m interested to begin using hand planes in my woodworking, and I understand from many sources that starting with a block plane is a useful entry point to planes and is a versatile tool. Do people have experience with Bench Dog brand planes, which I think is a store brand from Rockler? I don’t want to waste my money on a tool that will frustrate me, so I’d like to balance getting the best quality tool without breaking the bank. Thanks for any advice on plane brands to stay away from.
Discussion Forum
Get It All!
UNLIMITED Membership is like taking a master class in woodworking for less than $10 a month.
Start Your Free TrialCategories
Discussion Forum
Digital Plans Library
Member exclusive! – Plans for everyone – from beginners to experts – right at your fingertips.
Highlights
-
Shape Your Skills
when you sign up for our emails
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. -
Shop Talk Live Podcast -
Our favorite articles and videos -
E-Learning Courses from Fine Woodworking
-
-
Replies
When I needed a new low-angle block plane a few years ago, I looked at Rockler and Woodcraft too.
I eventually decided to buy the Veritas low-angle block plane. It's only $59 more than the BenchDog, is made in North America and has a reputation for quality. I've been very happy with it.
And if you get the Veritas, for an additional $10 you can upgrade to the new high-tech steel blade they call PMV-11. It sharpens as easy as old-school steel blades but holds its' edge way longer.
My .02
Mike
Depends on what breaking the bank is. I'd choose the Lie Nielsen low angle. The Veritas would be close behind.
Tuning a plane with no experience can be very frustrating. I think you'd be best off buying the Lie-Nielsen or Veritas since both require minimal tuning. I know the Lie Nielsen's usually will work fine out of the box although they can be improved with a little effort. I don't know about Veritas. There are many videos out there on tuning planes you may want to watch first. Rob Cosman's are pretty good. Be aware though that he has some kind of relationship with Woodriver and Woodcraft. I believe he was involved the Woodriver product development so he does favor those products often times.
Yes, depends on the actual budget numbers. My Lie-Nielsen block plane sees more use on average than the others. Absolute pleasure to use and so well designed and made...as well as the materials used. It really is incomparable on some levels. I've never regretted a single penny paid for it.
At risk of sounding like an echo, I'll just say that I got the Lie-Nielsen 60 1/2 Low Angle Block Plane when I was beginning to get serious about this stuff, and have never been happier with a buying decision. I now own several other L-N items, and am very happy with each. Expensive, but superbly well-made, based on time-tested designs, and very, very good at what they do. My second purchase, btw, was the L-N Low Angle Jack, #62--and I'm in love with it, too. Actually, after those two, there's not a whole lot more I really, truly need on any frequent basis. (Though specialty tools are often a delight, and I didn't stop there.)
I've made two Bench Dog purchases, one of which is relevant to this discussion--I bought one of their spokeshaves on sale a while back. It does the job, but is clearly not of the quality one can expect from, say, a L-N or Veritas tool. Took more tuning to get that spokeshave up to grade than did either of the L-N planes, for example--and a spokeshave is about as simple a multi-part cutting device as one can devise.
Don't let me dissuade from the the Lie-Nielsen I've upgraded my old Records to Lie-Nielsens over the last few years, it's amazing how much more money you have for tools once the kids are through college and out of the house. The hours I spent tuning the Records is time I would not want to spend again and I can only imagine it's worse on the Benchdogs and Woodrivers. The quality difference is significant and worth every penny if you can afford it.
I would make a recommendation that you consider the 60½ with the nicker it's full width blade will let you trim tenon shoulders as well as function as low angled block plane, in essence giving you 2 planes for the price of one.
I have to say, the only (potential) regret I might have about my purchase of the regular (non-nicker) L-N block plane is that very thing. The addition of the nicker adds versatility, and had I known then what I know now, I might well have gone that route. But I still don’t really regret the purchase in the slightest. (And since I now have a shoulder plane, for me it’s all moot.)
I'm going to buck the trend a little and suggest that block planes are so ridiculously easy to use and set up that it is quite hard to find a bad one.
I have an old Stanley that works fine - well enough that I have zero desire to upgrade.
I'd say it's another matter entirely for larger planes, where quality really counts, but as block planes are seldom used for full-width cuts, even a badly set up plane will almost always work.
Still, as others have said, if you have the cash, buy a good one - no-one ever regretted buying a Veritas or Lie Nielsen plane.
A Veritas block plane was my very first plane purchase, and it gets used on almost every project. Order from Lee Valley and get their catalog to get acquainted with the variety of tools out there.
Lie-Nielsen planes are great, if you can handle the cost.
Been using a LN for years now with no regrets or complaints. Worth noting the body is brass. So if you plan to secure it in a near vertical tool till with a magnet, it won’t ‘catch’.
The WoodRivers are pretty good.
Then of course there are old Stanley's. They do the job! Except for certain rare models,most of which you will probably never need you can get good ones for less than $100 a piece and I wouldn't pay close to that for any Stanley block plane or a no. 4 - which are two planes that you might start with. My Stanley and Clifton's and wooden plane collection was pretty much complete for me ( something like 40 some planes) before Lie-Nielson or Veritas existed so I never felt the need. I've used them both and they are very fine planes. Feel good in the hand which is important I think but don't necessarily give better results than a well tuned "vintage" plane. It's the person doing the planing after all, the plane is almost irrelevant. Lie-Nielson
planes are very hard on the pocket book.
The plane is irrelevant? No. I've use good tools, and I've used crappy tools. Skill can make up for some kinds of deficiencies. But most crappy tools do crappy jobs.
And for someone who works wood for fun, enjoyment is a consideration. Do you enjoy resurrecting an old rusty tool and getting the most out of it? Do you enjoy saving a buck? Do you enjoy a custom made dovetailed infill plane? There are a multitude of considerations.
While Lie-Nielsen and Veritas are clearly the best handplanes made, I don’t recommend paying a premium price for your first handplane. I suggest that you find a friend who is experienced with handplane selection and restoration, and then seek out a swap meet or estate sale and buy a vintage Stanley 60-1/2 block plane and a either a Stanley #4 smoother or #5 jack plane. For less than $150, you can go home with two very functional and fairly easy to tune handplanes. This is less than half the price of one L-N or Veritas plane and will get you started with hand tool joinery very effectively.
Next, spend some time on YouTube learning how to restore/refurbish your purchases to fully functional condition. Don’t go crazy—you just want to remove the rust, flatten the sole, and sharpen the plane irons. You will spend just as much on sharpening supplies and equipment as you did on the planes themselves!
Paul Sellers and Rob Cosman are among the best at teaching plane restoration, tuning, and plane iron sharpening.
Finally, practice, practice, practice! Start by clamping up some inexpensive poplar, pine, or other soft wood in a vice and learn how to use your body and shoulders to make even, fine shavings. It will take time to get this right, but it’s well worth the effort.
When you can pick up a plane and make a perfect shaving a few thousandths thick, the you can decide whether to move on to higher quality planes. You may decide that hand tool joinery is the only way to go and that you want to master the Craft and buy better tools. If so, you can always sell your restored Stanleys for far more that you paid for them. There’s no way you can lose money if you refurbished these planes well. Use your profits to offset the considerable cost of new Lie-Nielsen planes (my preference). The knowledge you gained caring for your Stanleys will be invaluable to you when selecting better tools for the future.
New or old, regardless of brand, a block plane is often used for detail work so it needs to be something you feel comfortable holding and working with. I have both the WoodRiver low angle block plane (my first handplane) as well as the Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane.
The WoodRiver (and the Veritas, from what I gather) is a substantial instrument. In my hands, it feels a bit too big and too heavy for a lot of things. On the flip side, I actually sometimes use it for smoothing tasks on small pieces. Adjustment is OK... loosen the lever cap a little (keep some pressure) and use the rear knob to advance or retract the blade.
The Lie-Nielsen is shorter, narrower, and lighter. I find the Lie-Nielsen more comfortable to hold and move around. I also prefer the adjustment mechanism which uses a wheel to lock the blade. This feels nicer than the level cap on the WoodRiver.
If any of the Veritas block planes fit you and your style, having the availability of the PM-V11 blades is a big plus. I have several Veritas planes with PM-V11 irons and am totally sold on them... the blades sharpen easily yet seem to hold an edge for ages.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled