Replies

1. 
   mwenz | Nov 19, 2006 03:43am | #1

   For you, I doubt it would be worth it. That there's a market for decent steel as replacement blades would indicate that others believe it is worth it. For a short period, even Stanley used better steel in their blades, but the thinness is still an issue.

   Go back further in time and other makers such as Ohio Tool, who used thick tapered, laminated blades, and both the steel and the thickness was greater than Stanley used most of their better tool making years.

   btw, your analogy isn't even apples and oranges. There's a huge difference in enhancing a tool by introducing a better component--a replacement blade which lasts longer between honings and reduces or eliminates a source of chatter when taking moderate to heavy cuts in hard woods--and miss-matching something like a motor in a vehicle.

   Take care, Mike

2. 
   user-211435 | Nov 19, 2006 03:48am | #2

   I don't think it is the big engine that ruins the transmission.  It's the loose nut on the wheel.

   Hal

   http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com

    

1. 
   wdrite | Nov 19, 2006 05:41pm | #3

   I'm afraid I must agree.  Ha!

1. 
   EdHarrison | Nov 25, 2006 01:41am | #9

   I bought a Hock blade for my WWI vintage No. 18 Nuckle Joint Block plane and didn't like it as well as he original stock Stanley blade.  As best as I can explain it, the original blade seemed to sharpen quicker to a finer hone with more predictable results and have less slop in the adjustment.  So it was a good excuse to build a wooden plane around the Hock blade.  On the other hand, I like the Hock blade that I use for my sweetheart era No. 4 smooth plane better than the original.

   So there's no good answer.

   When that happens. employ Rule 504, Tab Delta, Codicil 14B, Clause 143, paragraph 14c. of Handtoolology: "Buy one of each."  Good luck, Ed

    

           

3. 
   lwj2 | Nov 19, 2006 06:38pm | #4

   My experience with the LN 4½ plane has led me to plan replacing the Stanley blades in the rest of my planes with Hock blades.

   Granted that they're the Bailey style rather than Bedrock, the difference causes me to conclude it's a worthwhile investment.

   YMMV.

   Leon
4. 
   JeffHeath | Nov 19, 2006 06:47pm | #5

   A while back, I replaced the standard skinny stanley blade in my 605 1/2 with a Hock blade, because the Stanley was about 1/4" from the slot. ( I use my planes alot.)  On regular hardwoods, like cherry or walnut, I really couldn't tell the difference.  All my planes are well tuned.  However, on curly maple, or crotch woods, I could definately tell the difference.  The thicker blade didn't chatter, and the better steel didn't require as many trips to the sharpening station.  I have since replaced the blades and chip breakers in all my Bedrocks with Hock A2, and am very pleased with the improvement.

    

   Jeff

5. 
   pzgren | Nov 20, 2006 10:08pm | #6

   WD,

     From my perspective, the prime reasons to need to replace the iron is that it's worn out (no meat left...) or that the OEM iron won't take/hold an edge.

     I've bought and tuned up a fair number of vintage, mostly-Stanley planes. The majority had/have irons that were quite serviceable and would hold quite a nice edge, but there were a couple that just would not stay sharp. Those irons got replaced with Hock or LN replacement irons and chip breakers). Now they work just fine....

     While my objective was to make the plane usable by replacing the iron, I did hold on to the original irons, so that, if I ever sell any of them, the new owner(s) can have the stock iron....

   Tschüß!

   Mit freundlichen holzbearbeitungischen Grüßen aus dem Land der Rio Grande!!

   James

6. 
   gossamershavings | Nov 24, 2006 09:21am | #7

   I think the best reason to buy a replacement blade is to avoid the seriously looooooong and tedious task of lapping the back of an old plane. iron...especially one that has been improperly sharpened ..i.e ..on a really dished stone.i think that the stock blades would do well in as new condition, but old, rusty, or pitted ones take alot to be made servicable..i have a number of older planes ,and after retooling 2 of the blades, i have started buying replacement lee valleys.it took an average jack plane into one that took superfine shavings....with minimal blade tune up..in my opinion, unless u like grinding irons...they are worth the price.

7. 
   Midnight | Nov 24, 2006 03:55pm | #8

   When I first started out with handraulics I managed to convince myself that I couldn't justify the cost of high end tools with the few projects I manage to complete over any given time; Stanley planes had been good enough for my dad, they'd be good enough for me...

   Unfortunately that wasn't borne out in practice... Cutting  a long story short, the blades may well be perfectly capable of working softwood with ease, but the hardwoods I was working with led to countless hours of frustration; I couldn't tell if it was something I was doing wrong or if the tool just wasn't up to the job.

   The eureka moment came with my first Lie Nielsen purchase; working exactly the same boards and with no great improvement in technique, suddenly this handraulic stuff looked like it was gonna work...  Over time, I expanded my range of planes, relegating the Stanleys to the role of paper-weights and door stops.

   A couple of years later, my nephew was expressing an interest in woodworking; did I have any old tools I could live without that he could learn with? The Stanleys instantly came to mind but no way could I give them to him knowing they'd lead to endless grief, so I bought some L-N upgraded blades and chip-breakers. After a quick hone and re-tuning the frogs I gave them a try on the elm I was working at the time and to my surprise they coped fairly well with it. Likewise with some oak I had on hand...

   Sure, the upgraded parts cost about as much as the entire tool when bought new, but having demonstrated that they transformed the planes from useless to fairly functional (they'll never have L-N performance despite being tuned and fettled) I'm satisfied that they were worth the cost and should serve as a decent teaching aid for my nephew.

   Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun