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Igor Petrenko
04-02-2009, 11:16 AM
Hi All!
I've just got 100yo Stanley 5-1/2 in very good condition. This is my first no cheapo plane. Shold I use original blade or should I get a good new blade? How is the steel on old planes compares to new carbon steel blades like ones from Hock? From one point of view I dont wont to damage 100yo blade, from another point of view getting good blade will make this $70 plane $50 more expensive. Will it be worth it?

Thank you.

Robert Rozaieski
04-02-2009, 11:18 AM
If the blade is in good shape, use it.

Dominic Greco
04-02-2009, 11:19 AM
Hi All!
I've just got 100yo Stanley 5-1/2 in very good condition. This is my first no cheapo plane. Shold I use original blade or should I get a good new blade? How is the steel on old planes compares to new carbon steel blades like ones from Hock? From one point of view I dont wont to damage 100yo blade, from another point of view getting good blade will make this $70 plane $50 more expensive. Will it be worth it?

Thank you.

It all depends if you are a "collector"" or a user. A collector may want to keep the plane "orginal" and just it on a shelve. It sounds like you are a user and want to actually use this tool to MAKE something! :D

I have a No 5 1/2 that is the same vintage and I've sharpened the blade and use it. It works REAL nice!

Igor Petrenko
04-02-2009, 11:21 AM
here are ebay pics for plane/knife
knife will need some heavy sharpening to get into working shape

Igor Petrenko
04-02-2009, 11:23 AM
It all depends if you are a "collector"" or a user. A collector may want to keep the plane "orginal" and just it on a shelve. It sounds like you are a user and want to actually use this tool to MAKE something! :D

I have a No 5 1/2 that is the same vintage and I've sharpened the blade and use it. It works REAL nice!

Yes, I am definitely user, it's just so hard to use sharpening stone on 100yo blade...

Ken Werner
04-02-2009, 11:50 AM
Looks like that iron has plenty of life left. I'd hone it, assess it and if it works well, put it back in action. Many of the old irons will work very well.

Jim Koepke
04-02-2009, 11:59 AM
Hello Igor and welcome to the slope.

I have quite a few planes and blades from the same era. The oldest is in the 120 year old range. I have sharpened and used them, but I have also bought newer blades off of eBay. Usually, the newer Stanley blades can be had for ~$15. The original blade is saved from the everyday use. I do find a small advantage to the higher priced blades and chip breakers, but I think it is more practical for a smoothing plane, not one being used for cleaning up rough stock or joining.
Most of my planes have Stanley blades that work fine when kept sharp.

One problem with the 5-1/2 is the blade size changed just before WW II. Yours likely needs a 2-1/4 inch blade which is unique to the 5-1/2.

Good luck,

jim

Mike Henderson
04-02-2009, 12:25 PM
I agree with Jim. The major advantage of a "new" blade is that it may be thicker - but that's mostly an advantage on a smoother. For the uses a 5 1/2 will get put to, the original blade will probably work fine.

While I've found that really old blades, such as are used in wooden planes, are sometimes variable in quality, I've (so far) not found a bad "old" Stanley blade (such as being too soft and not holding an edge).

Mike

David Keller NC
04-02-2009, 2:26 PM
Igor - My observations will differ somewhat from the replies posted above. The plane you've bought appears to be in very nice shape, and does have some collector's value, though it's not huge.

In addition to British infills, Lie-Nielsens and wooden planes in use in my shop, I've a number of Stanley antiques that were made before WWII. While the Stanley blades are definitely serviceable, my experience has been that they lose their razor-sharp edge rather quickly, especially in hard woods. For that reason, I've replaced all of them with Hock irons, both O-1 and A-2.

In all 7 examples, the Hock blades hold their edge far longer than the original Stanley blades. I suspect this may be due to hardness - the Hock irons are easily the hardest irons I've ever worked outside of a laminated Japanese blade. Paradoxically, the Hock irons never chip, either, as one might think. Ron Hock seems to have found an alloy and heat treating process that gets the absolute maximum out of the strength/wear resistance equation - he's noted in an interview for Popular Woodworking that he takes specific steps to keep the grain size in the steel as small as possible which minimizes chipping and allows him to make the irons as hard as possible.

My thought here is that it may be worth it to you to spend the $35 or so for a replacement Hock blade, and to wrap the original Stanley blade in corrosion-prevention papaer and put it on the shelf. Like you, my secondary purpose for replacing the original blades with Hocks was to keep the planes as original as possible when it comes time to sell them or pass them on to a heir.

Joel Goodman
04-02-2009, 2:35 PM
If you decide to go with a Hock iron he does sell the 2 1/4" in carbon steel only. If you want A2 I believe LN has the 2 1/4" size.