Good thing I'm remembering to look into this before I go dragging the sole across a diamond stone...
The toe section of the plane is not perfectly level with the rest of the sole, it is raised just a hair. I've noticed this on a number of planes, mostly small rabbet planes and bullnose planes, so I'm thinking perhaps there was a reason for this? My understanding is that the toe or front of the mouth of a plane is critically important because it applies pressure to the wood just ahead of the blade, and that small amount of compression somehow helps. Can anyone enlighten a plebeian like myself on this detail of plane design and function?
The photograph below shows my newly-acquired Stanley 92 that better make me a way better woodworker or else I'll be pissed about how much time and effort I spent trying to get ahold of a shoulder plane.
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