Ok, I got my new LV apron plane, and I love it. It's really a nice size and weight and was amazingly sharp right out of the box (not that it stopped me from honing the blade a little more ). Whisper thin shavings were produced without any trouble! See pics below!
That said, when I used it on some hard maple scrap, I did get a little tear-out. Being a newbie, I think its because of the low angle of the blade setting and 25 degree bevel (at least that's what the written info included with the plane seems to suggest). I know a low angle is more suited for end-grain, but I also want to be able to smooth a little when using a larger plane isn't practical.
So, question is, if I buy a 38 degree or 50 degree extra blade will that solve the problem? Obviously that's much more economical than buying more planes. Again this is suggested in the written info, but I wasn't sure if it was marketing BS or real . . . Thanks for any insight.
Bill