I stopped at a little flea market type place the other day. It's the kind of place that buys out estates and then resells all the junk...I mean, stuff.
I found a box of odd and end tool parts, nails, sandpaper, and this and that. Among the detritus was the rotted out remnants of a Stanley 5 1/4. It was missing parts (though I found the cap iron in another box) and was rusted to the point that it was seized up. Cruddiness aside, it was a really neat plane. I loved its size and weight - or lack of weight, I should say.
Anyone out there use a 5 1/4 on a regular basis? I kind of want one now. The one I described is the only one I can recall seeing in the wild, but I've never really looked for one before. I checked FleaBay and saw some nice examples, but the prices ranged from about $30 to $150+. Not sure what that's about. Are some types very rare and deserving of a crazy high price tag?
I'm in a phase where I don't really enjoy using bevel-down planes with an iron wider than what's in the No. 4 and 5. I use the LV BU Jack all the time, and its iron is wider, but I rarely reach for my 5 1/2 or 607. Seems like taking any wider shaving than is necessary is just extra work.
What say ye regarding the 5 1/4?