Recommendations for shoulder plane

[Acharya Kumarswami]

Hi. I'm hoping to get some advice on shoulder planes. I'm considering the LV models, but also wonder about the vintage planes. I see a couple by Stanley and Record come along on eBay quite often, but wonder what models are best.
Thank you.

[David Weaver]

If the choice is LV or vintage, I'd just buy the LV. If you get a vintage one and find out it's not square, then what would you do?

[Josh Bowman]

I've bought a lot of old stanleys and bedrocks on eBay. I've only had a few problems but they were always corrected. Ask this question in the neandertal forum. One of them will sell you some.

[Ken Werner]

For what the used shoulder planes cost on ebay, I think you might very well be better off with a new LV. The question is medium or large.

[Acharya Kumarswami]

Indeed, Ken, that is my very question. Currently I use paring chisels for cleaning up shoulders, and a rabbet block plane for tenon cheeks. But I do see occasion for a shoulder plane as well, especially for longer shoulders. I tend toward the medium plane, because of it's facileness, but it's not wide enough for everything.

[Ken Werner]

Well, a router plane can clean up the sides of any size tenons. A medium shoulder plane [I have a LV med] will do shoulders very well. Also a LA rabbet block plane can do a fine job on wide tenons.

[Acharya Kumarswami]

Excellent points. I had not thought of a router plane for tenon cheeks, but it makes perfect sense. I have the LN rabbet block plane and the LV router plane, so I will go for a medium shoulder plane to complete the set. Thank you.

[Andrae Covington]

Excellent points. I had not thought of a router plane for tenon cheeks, but it makes perfect sense. I have the LN rabbet block plane and the LV router plane, so I will go for a medium shoulder plane to complete the set. Thank you.

I have the medium LV shoulder plane. I sometimes wish I had the larger one, but noting that you have a rabbet block plane, I think you'll be happy with the medium.

[Zach England]

I have Veritas large and LN small and medium. I used to have the Veritas medium, but I sold it when I bought the LN medium. I just find the LN more comfortable. I like the Veritas large because of the front knob that can be screwed into either side. It makes it much more comfortable to use on its side or in awkward spaces like inside a cabinet. I also have a stanley 90 that occasionally is just the right tool for a particular job.

[Larry Fox]

I have the LV medium one and really like it. I have never tried the LN one but I suspect you won't be disappointed with that one either. I have a decent amount of LN but I use the shoulder plane so infrequently that I could not justify the additional cost in this case.

[paul cottingham]

I have the medium LV shoulder plane. I sometimes wish I had the larger one, but noting that you have a rabbet block plane, I think you'll be happy with the medium.

I would concur with this. I often wish I bought the large shoulder plane.

That being said, I really like my medium.

[Jim Koepke]

If you are satisfied with the choice between LN or LV, then you only need to decide on the size.

That would depend on your work. Remember, a large plane may be a bit unwieldy on a small shoulder. Timber framing with a small plane can be a pain.

I have test driven a shoulder plane from Bridge City and it was a dream compared to my Stanley #93.

My #93 took a bit of fettling, but it does its job. I am sure the LN or LV are much better tools even with my #93 tuned to do its best.

Here is the link to my fettling on the Stanley shoulder planes:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=119301

jtk

[Trevor Walsh]

Just to complicate things, I love my LN No.041. That's the small shoulder. I use the router plane for cheeks and the shoulder plane for the shoulders.