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Thread: Just a question about Bench Dog planes.

  1. #1
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    Just a question about Bench Dog planes.

    Although I am not in the market for a hand plane at the moment, I was wondering if anyone has tried the Bench Dog Hand Planes at Rockler. Well made? Good steel?

    I am happy with my rebuilt Stanleys, a home-made infill, and a bevel-up Veritas, so this is just a curiosity question.
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Kent View Post
    Although I am not in the market for a hand plane at the moment, I was wondering if anyone has tried the Bench Dog Hand Planes at Rockler. Well made? Good steel?

    I am happy with my rebuilt Stanleys, a home-made infill, and a bevel-up Veritas, so this is just a curiosity question.
    I'm pretty sure they're Groz' "high-end" line, which are made to be sold under other brands rather than Groz. Garrett Wade, Axminster, and Shop Fox are known to source their planes from Groz, and their block planes look awfully similar to the new Bench Dog (if you ignore the fact that the scaling is funky in GW's product photo):

    http://www.garrettwade.com/low-angle...ock-plane.html
    https://www.amazon.com/Woodstock-D38...2450617&sr=1-2
    http://www.rockler.com/bench-dog-too...n=PL&sid=V9146

    The Bench Dog smoother looks identical to the Axminster Rider #4, which is also a higher-end Groz OEM design:

    http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster...plane-ax945300
    http://www.rockler.com/bench-dog-too...moothing-plane

    These look OK based on paper specs, but I swore off Groz long ago based on the execrable quality of their own-brand products. Maybe they've cleaned up their act and manufacture the OEM stuff to higher standards. You should be able to get a feel by looking at reviews of the above-listed planes.
    Last edited by Patrick Chase; 11-11-2016 at 3:49 PM.

  3. #3
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    Interesting. Thank you.
    Veni Vidi Vendi Vente! I came, I saw, I bought a large coffee!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Patrick Chase View Post
    ...I swore off Groz long ago based on the execrable quality of their own-brand products.
    I had to look this up with google because I figured: 1) you either made up a word; B) had some kind of typo; or 3) I could learn something new today.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    I had to look this up with google because I figured: 1) you either made up a word; B) had some kind of typo; or 3) I could learn something new today.
    Glad I could help :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pat Barry View Post
    I had to look this up with google because I figured: 1) you either made up a word; B) had some kind of typo; or 3) I could learn something new today.
    Google, Doesn't everyone's computer do this?:

    Execrable.png

    jtk
    Last edited by Jim Koepke; 11-11-2016 at 5:20 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. #7
    I,too, had to look it up. Perfect word.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Brian Kent View Post
    Interesting. Thank you.
    One nice thing about Veritas/LN/etc is that they design and build their own products, so they know exactly what they're selling and how they intended it to be used etc.

    When you get into "house brands" like Bench Dog the retailer is typically selling the products of globalized OEM/ODM-based supply chains. They often don't know the details of the products they're selling, and it's basically a lost cause for the consumer unless you can figure out which OEM they're using and get the information that way.
    Last edited by Patrick Chase; 11-11-2016 at 7:39 PM.

  9. #9
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    Jim,

    Thanks, forgot that my computer would do that.

    Wayne

  10. #10
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    Patrick, that word was meant to be a derivative of excrement, right?

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Vanzant View Post
    Patrick, that word was meant to be a derivative of excrement, right?
    No, but that's a common misconception that sometimes causes people to incorrectly spell it without the second 'e'. It's the adjective form of the verb "execrate", which has been in the English language since the Middle Ages, and ultimately derives from Latin.

  12. #12
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    I'll let you know in a week or so, because I just bit on the Bench Dogs from Rockler. I understand they have improved their quality to a much higher standard. It just wouldn't be fit for Bench Dog to sell lesser quality. If need be, I will return them.
    Last edited by Joe Tilson; 08-03-2019 at 8:37 PM. Reason: correcting a word
    You never get the answer if you don't ask the question.

    Joe

  13. #13
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    Not Groz, made in India by Shobha Industries.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eric Danstrom View Post
    Not Groz, made in India by Shobha Industries.
    Is there an indication that it has always been the same manufacture?

    Could there be various factories bidding on making the planes?

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
    My question when I see something like this is: Why?

    #4 Bench Dog $110 USD on sale at Rockler. PreWar #4 Stanley "Buy It Now" less than $50 USD. Maybe both need some work to make a user but with the Stanley you have good bones to work with.

    Sometimes you get what you pay for, but never what you do not pay for.

    ken

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