Quote Originally Posted by Marcus Ward View Post
I do not own a LN, I have used a few and am impressed with the fit and finish. I do not think they are worth the current amount of hype that floats around this particular section of sawmill creek and want to tell new guys to avoid the expensive stuff because it's not necessary.
You have sound advice, except that to go the vintage Stanley route assumes that the person asking for advice:

1. Has some idea of what a well tuned plane can do
2. Knows how to set up and tune up a used plane, and
3. Knows what fatal flaws to avoid when purchasing a used plane.

My guess is that in almost every case, the person asking "What should I get for my first plane?" doesn't fit any of the above three items. That's why my usual answer to "What's the first plane I should get?" is "Take a class on using hand planes and sharpening, or find a local woodworking club and look for the hand tool guy." This is the sort of thing that I've found makes a much larger impact in person than on the internet.

For those people who don't have access to either classes or a hand tool maven, a Lie-Nielsen or Lee Valley plane may be the only hope they have of seeing what a well tuned plane can do.

My first woodworking purchase was a class. Since then, I've only bought used planes. But I also know I needed that hands on instruction experience, or I would have been lost.

If you really want to have people thinking about vintage/used planes, you might want to take this into consideration.