Made in India, the Anant appears to be a reproduction of an original Bailey, but it lacks refinement in its fit and finish. That said, I didn’t have to spend much time tuning it. The handles are made from a tropical hardwood resembling mahogany. The finish on the handles was a bit rough but still comfortable. I honed the blade and tuned the chipbreaker, and the plane gave satisfactory results.

There was a lot of backlash in the blade-adjustment knob—nearly four rotations—and it was difficult to get it set for a light cut. Once set, it held well. The blade is only 0.068 in. thick and chattered slightly when planing challenging hardwoods.

If tuned meticulously and fitted with a thicker aftermarket blade, the Anant could be a dependable smoother.

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