Bridge City Tools - CT-17 Double Angle Block Plane

[David A Smith]

Has anyone recently checked out Bridge City Tools website? They released their CT-17 tool. It?s absolutely amazing. So, what do you guys think of it?

Here is a link to this item on their website:

http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane (http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane)

Here is a video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeCityMike#p/u/0/W2ni3z61WmA

[Van Huskey]

Has anyone recently checked out Bridge City Tools website? They released their CT-17 tool. It?s absolutely amazing. So, what do you guys think of it?

Here is a link to this item on their website:

http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane (http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane)

Here is a video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeCityMike#p/u/0/W2ni3z61WmA


That is one gorgeous tool and even having few neander tendencies it is an object of lust, however even in the world run by sparktricity $900 buys a pretty good amount of tool!

[David Weaver]

Has anyone recently checked out Bridge City Tools website? They released their CT-17 tool. It?s absolutely amazing. So, what do you guys think of it?

Here is a link to this item on their website:

http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane (http://www.bridgecitytools.com/Products/+CT-17+Dual+Angle+Block+Plane)

Here is a video of it:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeCityMike#p/u/0/W2ni3z61WmA

It's nice, but it's an item for the collectors. Not that there seems to be a shortage of people who buy planes that I would consider outside of the realm of practical for purchase to use if there is a relative value comparison. I'm glad there are big spenders, though, because while I don't buy anything from BCTW, I'm always interested in seeing what comes out next. They're very creative, and even if the design of their tools looks a little rube goldberg, when you see john E demonstrate why they are the way they are, you can tell they've put a LOT of thought (and very "thoughtful" thought) into them.

Besides, the naysayers on cost are likely not in the market for them, anyway. It's like Holtey's planes - lots of folks complain endlessly about the price, but those people wouldn't be in the market for them at 3K or 13K. The people who are in the market for the BCTW stuff and Holtey's planes seem to be well pleased, and that's what counts.

[Ron Conlon]

From the product description:

"And as a gesture of good luck, buried in the body of each CT-17 is a U.S. penny—it is a symbol of gratitude and a tangible gesture that celebrates the relationship we share with our customers who make this all possible."

For an $850 block plane, an embedded penny is a symbol of gratitude. Just teeing up the joke, please supply your own punch line.

[John Schreiber]

From the product description:

"And as a gesture of good luck, buried in the body of each CT-17 is a U.S. penny—it is a symbol of gratitude and a tangible gesture that celebrates the relationship we share with our customers who make this all possible."

For an $850 block plane, an embedded penny is a symbol of gratitude. Just teeing up the joke, please supply your own punch line.

When I built a sailboat, I put a penny under the mast. Maybe that's the relationship? ? ?

I keep looking at it and thinking that the most I ever spent for jewelry was my wife's engagement ring. It was substantially less than this plane.

[Bill Whig]

It looks like all of the holes in the sides ("form") might get in the way of "function". I can envision twisting a finger. I'm not quite in their target market anyway...

Bill

[jerry nazard]

I'm sure that it is a great plane, and the "metal sculpture" design is very cool, so the following remark is not serious.

What movie did I see that thing in....?

[Mike Heidrick]

When did the terminator start working wood - 2012?

[Will Blick]

While this is a lot of $ for a small block plane, you gotta admit, it's a ton of workmanship for the dollar. From that stand point, I think it has good value. But a LV BU block has many different angles and is quite slick for its lower cost.

Considering the cost of a Hotely, or other high end planes, I would consider this a bargain. It would look like nice on the fire place mantel as a work of art...which in the art world, this is dirt cheap :-) My guess is, the target market is mainly collectors. John E really is a tool design genius.


I really wonder if planes like this would go up in value through the years... this is probably why they make a limited run. Does anyone track this stuff?

[Bruce Page]

It is very cool but I would like to see some real pictures & video instead of the CG stuff.

[george wilson]

I do not care for the sculpture of the plane. It is not good sculpture to have the top edge of the plane broken into straight lines with a few curves. Should be all one or the other. That is a basic premise of sculpture.
The brass one they made some time ago was also too extreme looking.

I'm sure the workmanship is fine,though. I just can't get excited about their designs. It looks like the Terminator's block plane.

[Derby Matthews]

George, I couldn't agree more. John Economaki Had a tremendous vision and superlative original business model, (he even quotes it in the video in the following link) and has IMHO gone completely off the map in recent years, particularly with this CT-17 offering. Here's a link to an under two minute video with far more one more than a minute of nothing but hype:

http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeCi.../0/W2ni3z61WmA (http://www.youtube.com/user/BridgeCityMike#p/u/0/W2ni3z61WmA)

Apparently John has forgotten or simply not realized that one can simply have two irons for their Bridge City CT-7 (or Stanley / ad infinitum) Low angle block plane and grind one to a 42 degree angle, and the other to a 47 degree angle. Most importantly The basic, ingenious idea John came up with 4 years ago, the modified cap iron that pre-stresses the blade to reduce chatter and improve cutting ease is also conspicuously missing from the this model. This feature alone would have changed my opinon from "why buy it" to "MUST buy it"!

Even as an avid collector and user of many early Bridge City tools in the regular-old metals/ materials we all know, love, and can trust to outlive our kids, I will not plunk down $895.00 for "Terminator" Plane (I really like this name - those movies well describe what John has been doing for about two years now: returning from the future to knock-off his old designs with new alloys. Like in the movies, it doesn't work in the end. I hate to sound like I'm flaming John here. I like him, and greatly respect his earlier work. The last four offerings, the shoulder plane in SS (what was that priced at? Was it two grand or two grand and five Benjamins, the palm brace in SS, the plumb bob in SS, and now the CT-7 in SS with the two-angle gimmick and no pre-stressing (I'm willing to bet it was considered but the skeletonized SS body couldn't handle the strain - but this is pure conjecture on my part)

Sorry guys, this one gets a solid two thumbs down from me.





Quote:
Originally Posted by george wilson http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=1412420#post1412420)
Personally,the Bridge city "Terminator's" block plane is too far over the top,as are some of his other designs. He thinks TOO EXTREME. It isn't the workmanship (which is excellent) on some of his tools that I don't care for,it's the design work. And that is the failure of MANY an otherwise skilled craftsman. They understand technique,but do not grasp the artistic end of making objects.

Hopefully,these opinions don't get anyone's hackles up,but they are valid opinions if you want to do artistic work. If you are making a plane for a scuba diver,that's different :)


http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/progress.gif http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/buttons/edit.gif (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=1413586)

[Ray McCullie]

Well, as a woodworker who's just starting out in the "hobby" I could never justify the expense. Although I've read about BCTW in a few books and seen their stuff, I personally think that a tool is only as valuable as it is useful. I can't see anyone really using this plane as a working tool after spending that kinda money on it. Plane prices are way outta wack anyway if you ask me.

Since when is the nail worth more then the building it's holding together? The pieces you make with your tools should be collectible, not the tools.

[Peter Quinn]

Interesting looking contraption that surely will earn him a place at the Moma but not in my tool crib. Space constrained? If space gets so tight that I can't store an extra iron for my block plane or an extra low angle plane for tough grain, I'll be spending my $900 on a shop expansion, not a hand held helicopter. This sort of thing is marketed to whom? Loves woodworking tools, has more money than knows what to do with? Seems like a design which is simple and thus affordable but also quite effective and durable might be of more interest to me. Of course that has already been created, so what is left to create but strange works of quasi art?

Its interesting to me to see what people spend their time doing, and some of the past BCT ideas I have found quite stunning, this one leaves me chuckling.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

I like the plug cutter that is used to adjust the blade. What is wrong with a nice knurled knob?

[John Shuk]

Looks way cool to me. I wish I could afford to send them money instead of just applauding them for their commitment to making innovative tools.

[Sean Nagle]

I like the plug cutter that is used to adjust the blade. What is wrong with a nice knurled knob?

That was my impression as well. Gripping the business end of a plug cutter doesn't seem to be the best ergonomics ;)

[Andrew Gibson]

Sorry I didn't read through the entire thread but the first thing that popped into my head is that the blade is sharpened at both ends so that when you are sharpening one end the other will cut your hand off :P

[Brian Kent]

Sorry I didn't read through the entire thread but the first thing that popped into my head is that the blade is sharpened at both ends so that when you are sharpening one end the other will cut your hand off :P

Actually, it will just cut into your hand, and then only a little way into the bone.

[Brian Kent]

I do appreciate truly creative work. I wouldn't buy one, but he did look at things differently, which is how innovation happens. Who knows, maybe there is a key innovation somewhere in that conglomeration of pretty steel.

[Ted Baca]

For 860.00 US it should come with a rosewood base for the crystal display case. I would be afraid to use it. But it would look great on a mantel...oh forgot I don't have a fireplace.

[Derby Matthews]

For 860.00 US it should come with a rosewood base for the crystal display case. I would be afraid to use it. But it would look great on a mantel...oh forgot I don't have a fireplace.
You can put in a QVC fake fireplace/mantel with the electric flames for less than $860.....they even have casters so you can move your fireplace from room to room - just make sure you have the (empty) rosewood-based crystal display case securely fastened down with those new plug-cutter-headed screws so it wont fall off!

Sorry for the silly imagery, I broke six bones three weeks ago and am still on a bunch of painkillers....