Tsunesaburo Blue steel VS PMV-11

[David Weaver]

Those G-T blades are all over the place in terms of how good they are. They are not as consistent as white II or I steel blades, but there are folks who are happy with them. I had two of the entry level irons (which cost me an extra $50 each on a plane order) and the two I got were not as good as the stock O1 irons that steve offered (actually, steve's O1 irons were very well done).

But, i know several folks have vouched for them (steve did mention he had a fair number of returns from customers for having chip prone irons).

[Matthew N. Masail]

too bad..... they are sized perfectly... guess it is too good to be true. thanks.


However I did contact LV and they said no promises but the blade+Norris adjuster set for wooden plane are due around fall time, not sure if I'd like the adjuster but seems like it's at least smart to wait and see.

[Derek Cohen]

I have one of the Galoot Tools blades from Steve. It is 1/4" thick, parallel and 2" wide. A wonderful blade. I built a "Knight" plane around it ..



I prefer tapered blades in the woodies I build. All purchased on eBay, mostly UK eBay. Some were NOS and too wide, which I cut to width with a Dremel. All needed serious flattening - they are not built to LV specs! And some will require re-tempering as the steel is brittle (too hard).



Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Weaver]

too bad..... they are sized perfectly... guess it is too good to be true. thanks.

However I did contact LV and they said no promises but the blade+Norris adjuster set for wooden plane are due around fall time, not sure if I'd like the adjuster but seems like it's at least smart to wait and see.

Well, it's many years on, they may all be good now, you never know. I got mine when derek got his or thereabouts (which is a long while ago now) and eventually gave them to a guy who wanted to have a plane cut out of a single piece of mild steel with an EDM machine (they haven't been used since). The proprietor of the irons made some bizarre comments at the time about japanese irons appearing to be cheaply made and inferior (which is bizarre) and he writes about himself in third person.

Perhaps there will be some powder metals that become easy to sharpen and wear longer than great carbon steel, but the japanese blade steels are still otherwise the best I've seen - they are like the vintage US razor and file steels of the best quality, and maybe slightly better yet. But they come only in the tsunesaburo blue steel irons for western planes.

All of that said, given my experience with two chippy irons, but a lot of other folks having great experience, it's worth noting that not every one is perfect so that you know to send one back and exchange if you get such an iron, but there is enough good feedback about them that I wouldn't be afraid to buy another one and try again if I had a use for one.

[Mike Holbrook]

There were some of the HSS blades that HNT Gordon sold for his planes that were available from a few places. Does anyone know what is going on with HNT Gordon? The two places I knew of that sold those planes in the US do not carry them now. I bought the last HSS blade Highland Woodworking had. I found interesting information on the blades he used not long ago, which I think were made by another company, but I don't find anything now.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Mike

Terry Gordon has not slowed down in Australia. Going strong. Very nice man and he makes a great product. Perhaps the exchange rate (high AUD) priced him out of the market in the States - changing the other way now.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jack Curtis]

Hi Mike

Terry Gordon has not slowed down in Australia. Going strong. Very nice man and he makes a great product. Perhaps the exchange rate (high AUD) priced him out of the market in the States - changing the other way now.

Maybe, but I'd bet it's the relatively new, high postal rates, so high that I no longer bother to look at ebay tools from Australia.