Opinions please 102 or 60-1/2?

[Nick Clayton]

If I purchase a low angle 102 will I be kicking myself in a couple months and wish I had purchased a low angle 60-1/2 with an adjustable mouth?

Would those more knowledgable be kind enough to describe the merits of both.

Cheers,
Nick

[Tony Zaffuto]

Take a look at the thread of a few days ago "block plane reccomendations". I'd go for the 102. Got one and love it. Also got the LN 60-1/2 plus many others. Main question is what all you think you're going to do with it?

Love at first bite with the 102!

[Nick Clayton]

Shame on me I should have looked first! So how about turning this into a what do you do with your 102 and 60-1/2 planes thread.......

[Ken Bryant]

I have both 102 and 9 1/2. Since getting 102, have seldom used 9 1/2. For end grain, if I need something bigger than the 102 I go to the LA jack.

The 102 is, for my hand anyway, quite a miraculous little plane. Using it is almost like scratching with your fingernails, if that makes any sense; just feels effortless.

[Jake Helmboldt]

What is a 102 good for? And are the old Stanley 102s even worth having, or are they useless junk as Patrick Leach claims?

Jake

[Travis Johnson]

I would go with the #102 if only for its size. Throw this little gem into your apron pocket (or back pocket) and take a sliver of wood off here or there. Its small in size, but when you consider that many times its just a sliver of wood you need to remove, bigger is not always better.

Of course I am not knocking the 9-1/2, I am just saying the #102 is a great sized plane.