Why LN planes are worth the $$$

[Zach England]

I dropped the chipbreaker screw from my no. 5 while sharpening the iron last night and it rolled under the bench. I moved the bench, swept everywhere, tried to pick up the shavings with the dust collector, and when I still couldn't find it I opened the dust collector and started sifting through it. After about an hour I admitted defeat and e-mailed Lie-Nielsen asking them if I could buy another screw from them. This was about midnight. Before I woke up this morning my phone beeped and it was an e-mail back telling me that one would be sent at no charge on Monday.

[Bruce Mack]

I have 2 of their block planes, the bevel up jack plane and recently the
4 1/2 bevel down smoother. The tools are handsome and give me great pleasure. Always great dealings with them. I hope they return to Minneapolis this spring so I can handle their saws.

[Gary Curtis]

Three years ago, an English woodworking forum interviewed the son of Leonard Lee, founder of Lee Valley.

He was asked why they didn't make this plane or that plane. Or why they didn't copy such and such Stanley design from 1905.

He explained that to make the casting molds for a new design cost $25,000. And that would be only for the frame of the plane. No iron, handle, totes, frog, hardware.

There is a serious investment in design and tooling at companies marketing traditional hand tools. They aren't simply dealing with 'melted down beer cans' poured into a sand casting as in the old days.

[James Mittlefehldt]

I dropped the chipbreaker screw from my no. 5 while sharpening the iron last night and it rolled under the bench. I moved the bench, swept everywhere, tried to pick up the shavings with the dust collector, and when I still couldn't find it I opened the dust collector and started sifting through it. After about an hour I admitted defeat and e-mailed Lie-Nielsen asking them if I could buy another screw from them. This was about midnight. Before I woke up this morning my phone beeped and it was an e-mail back telling me that one would be sent at no charge on Monday.

I did something similar a few years back when I lost one of the brass screws for a handle on my twin screw vice, it was my own fault for not tightening it when it came loose and I emailed LV asking for a replacement and the cost, admitting my culpibility same story they mailed the part free of charge.

Try getting that kind of sercvice from China these small tool companies deserve our support.

[Stephen Cherry]

In my opinion the common misconception is that these tools are expensive. Of coarse, they cannot compete with some of the yardsale prices of the old planes, but for the level of precision, and materials that go into the LN products, the prices to me seem OK. One example is spokeshaves. I have each of the 3 LN Boggs spokeshaves, and they all work. It is possible to go to the local woodworking store and get something that resembles a spokeshave, but to make it work it would take a new blade, and hours of preparation. With the LN I could cut nice shavings in less than 10 minutes.

Also, I'm guessing that in the earlier times, the old Stanley planes were not too cheap either.

[Don Dorn]

I now have a few and there are no regrets. It certainly hurt to let go of those kinds of funds, but I'm not someone who likes to fettle and yet wants a good plane. Between Veritas, LN and a few specialty planes, I'm covered.

Actually, I think my wife understands my contention that they are actually cheaper over the long haul. The first reason is that I won't keep buying planes trying to up the bar, I'm already where any reasonably incomed person can be. Second is that they hold thier value so well. When I check out, my wife can sell them for nearly what I paid and possibly more by the time that happens (I hope). Therefore, I'm actually renting a very high quality plane for little or nothing for two or three decades. Since money today doesn't earn anything, I'm happy with having something I'll use nearly daily in which that money is just temporarily transered. Additionally, I like picking them up and knowing they are going to perform in a satisfactory and predictable way every time. That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.

[Jim Koepke]

I'm not someone who likes to fettle and yet wants a good plane.

On the other side of that coin, some of my happiest hours are spent fettling. Then again, 3 of my planes are from LN and I think they are worth every penny. The most recent purchase was the #60-1/2. As so many have said before, it worked fine right out of the box. So far, about a half hour has been spent perfecting the fit of the adjustable mouth. Of course, due to use the blade has been sharpened a few times. Nothing compared to one of the later edition Stanley planes of the same size. The Stanley has taken many of hours of fettling and is still a pretender next to the LN.

The other two LN planes are ones that would likely cost more and be a bit less if they were old Stanley #1 and #62.

I have held and used a lot of the LN planes at shows. They are somewhat better than a finely fettled old Stanley. That said, I do get enough from my old Stanley planes that I think for the money and for me, they are also a good decision. Maybe if I were to have less time and more money, the best choice for me would also be different.

jtk

[Tony Shea]

Another big deal about paying their prices, which I agree is not really that high when considering the cost of producing them, I love to support local economy also being a Maine resident. Anytime I can support a small local tool maker and afford to do so I will. There is never any doubt the quality of the tool I'll receive from them either. Buy local and support small business, something that is so rare this day and age.

[Kevin Fitzsimons]

I purchased a L-N chisel plane from a fellow on SWF not long ago. It had a front corner of the bed bent down a bit. I didn't want to try to straighten it so I took it with me to the Woodworking in America expo in Cincinnati as I knew L-N was going to be there. I talked to the rep there and she said she'd take it back to Maine with her and have it fixed. I got it back a couple of weeks later, repaired, polished, in a new box complete with instructions. No charge. Now that's service! I did purchase a new plane and accessories at the expo because I really like their products and the representatives there spent plenty of time with me showing me how to use different planes and sharpening techniques. There were other plane makers there too who were a joy to talk with and try out their planes. Lee Valley was another exhibitor with great products and knowledgeable personnel. I'll spend my money with companies who back up their products and who make it fun to use their tools.

[Steve Costa]

I have to confess to being a LN plane collector. At last count 24. I have 2 of the their first 100, No. 164 & No. 8C. Many are being used but 3 or 4 sit on a shelf because I enjoy looking at them.

Like others here I find their quality exceptional!!! Several years ago I bought a 605 & 606 and ordered new LN blades for them. When they arrived they would not fit these planes, I called LN. I sent back the wrong blades & they sent the correct ones. The problem, as usual, was with the operator!!!

Great custom service & technical support.

[David Keller NC]

I suspect that most folks that decry either Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen's planes as ridiculously expensive are coming from the viewpoint of a powertool user. I was one of those myself a decade or two ago, and I'd have to say that when I was in that frame of mind, paying $300 for a tool that didn't have a power cord would've seemed incredible.

Now I know better. It takes hours of sanding to clean up tear-out if I run some of the figured mahogany or maple through my lunchbox planer, and I didn't have a handplane.

And while I'm a bit like Jim in that I enjoy fettling old planes, and I have about a dozen old Stanleys that have Hock irons and perform admirably in straight-grained wood, they are still not the equivalent of the L-N planes that I have, in either performance, fit or finish. But that difference is not readily apparent when using easy-to-work woods like pine, butternut, and poplar. It's another story when I'm planing exotics like cocobolo or ebony, and some of the harder domestics like walnut and soft maple (whomever the moron was that decided to call any maple "soft" should've had their head examined. )

[Trevor Walsh]

I have a similar story, while at one of the Hand Tool Events I asked about nearly every plane in the kit, my only regret was there was no #51 there to test. oh well. I was really happy with the techniques shown to me and had a lot of fun. I wound up buying a small shoulder plane there and love it.

[Zach England]

I appreciate the love of vintage planes. I have, use and love a good many, but I am sure glad it was not a part from one of those that I lost. That would be a real nightmare to replace.

[glenn bradley]

I have a couple planes, chisels and a spoke shave. None of them feel expensive when I am using them. LV and LN showing up at shows and letting folks actually use their tools is the best selling incentive I can think of.