A curse to all hand tool aficionados out there.

[keith micinski]

I just wanted to say that I purchased my first hand plane the other day and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I always new these hand tools were a slippery slope and apparently I am sliding down hill at high rate of speed. I just found myself at the Lie Nielsen web site looking at rabbiting block planes. I have never even seen a rabbiting block plane in person nor have I ever found myself saying the only way I can build this is if I have a low angle rabbeting block plane and yet there I am telling myself how surely I have to have one of these. I have a very bad feeling in the next few months I am going to be receiving a lot of packages from fellow creekers with the same sickness.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

What....did you come up to the General Woodworking Forum to drag some more bodies to the Neander Forum?....Kind of a "misery likes company" thing?:D

[Michael Peet]

Keith, you are in big trouble now ;). I have that plane and it is great for trimming tenon cheeks.

Mike

[Van Huskey]

I went through chisel fever last year, they say it is worse than bird flu. I bought my first quality chisels and now I have over 40! Then came the stack of scrapers and most recently a tenon and dovetail saw. Next up appears to be planes and already scoping out the spoke shaves and draw knives. Next I will be trading in my drill press for a brace... not!

[Gary Hodgin]

Keith,
Welcome to the slope. It's long and deep. Yes, you do need at least one rabbiting even if you don't use it for a while. LN and LV tools just make life better.
Gary

[Van Huskey]

I just want a rack of LN planes just to "belong". I figure if I never use them I can get more than I paid for them, probably a safer bet than the blue chip market! This crazy place actually had me thinking about buying that robot helicopter transformer thingy from Bridge City then I realized you could buy a 15" planer for a few dollars (literally) more and I came back to earth!

[glenn bradley]

I have a couple block planes and a shoulder plane and really want a nice smoother. But that's it! . . . oh and I have some scrapers . . . but that's it! . . . Oh and some spokeshaves and rasps . . . but that's it . . . Oh and great brace and set of augers . . . but that's it . . . Oh and . . .

[keith micinski]

What....did you come up to the General Woodworking Forum to drag some more bodies to the Neander Forum?....Kind of a "misery likes company" thing?:D

I actually forgot there was a hole section dedicated to the misery of hand tools here. The one good thing I hv going for me is I am a sucker for used tools so at least this addiction isn't going to be quite as expensive and for some reason it must come and go because there is a ready supply of used hand tools in the classifieds most days.

[Danny Burns]

I always new these hand tools were a slippery slope and apparently I am sliding down hill at high rate of speed.
Don't worry! When you hit rock bottom, it is actually covered with nice soft wood shavings!

[keith micinski]

Well I received the plane today and unfortunately I love it. I hate to say it but I can actually see now why hand tool people love hand tools. The feeling and the sound of shaving that wood off was really nice and I have no explanation why. I am not going to be giving up my power tools any time soon but I am now positive a new tool box full of hand tools is going to make its way into my shop sooner rather then later.

[Russell Sansom]

And you'll be amazed how that plane behaves once the blade is sharpened! LN and Lee Valley say their planes are ready to go out of the box, but as an inveterate hand tool user, I'd never work with an edge that dull.

[Peter Quinn]

And you'll be amazed how that plane behaves once the blade is sharpened! LN and Lee Valley say their planes are ready to go out of the box, but as an inveterate hand tool user, I'd never work with an edge that dull.

Actually they are both quite clear that the planes are ready to go but the blades will perform better with additional honing to suit the individual user. By ready to go I understand them to mean that you won't need to do any machining, squaring or flattening as would be required of lesser quality planes, but the honing is a must.

I have the rabbiting block plane, and it's a great little tool. You will like it and it will make itself useful. Next on my list is a large format shoulder plane. I'm mostly a machine guy, but I find hand planes that can adjust the fit of Joinery to be of great use in any shop. So I'd be more inclined to buy a LN 10 1/4 than say a 4 1/2 smoother, though I could certainly find a home for both in my heart if not my wallet.

[keith micinski]

Well this where I run into problems with hand tools. I have not been bitten by the sharpening bug and I am pretty sure I never will be. I went into this thinking I would just use the scary sharp method and it would be good enough. I am so disinterested in sharpening by hand though, I was already looking at the worksharp 3000. I sure wish I wouldn't have canceled my order once they back ordered the big sale at home depot. Had I of thought they would fill them all I never would have.

[Don Jarvie]

Keith, the Worksharp will make your fear of sharpening go away. Very easy to use and the blades get nice and sharp.

[keith micinski]

I figured as much after watching John's demo video. I do find it hilarious that in a span of 5 days I went from never owning a hand tool and not wanting to own one to looking for a sharpening system trying to find a good set of chisels for cheap. Figuring out that if I am going to have a jointer plane then I obviously need a skew block plane, a low angle block plane, a rabbit plane, just saw a plow plane which I didn't even know existed but now have to have, something called a smoother that I don't even know what it does but it says smooth say it sounds like a have to have.

[Van Huskey]

I figured as much after watching John's demo video. I do find it hilarious that in a span of 5 days I went from never owning a hand tool and not wanting to own one to looking for a sharpening system trying to find a good set of chisels for cheap. Figuring out that if I am going to have a jointer plane then I obviously need a skew block plane, a low angle block plane, a rabbit plane, just saw a plow plane which I didn't even know existed but now have to have, something called a smoother that I don't even know what it does but it says smooth say it sounds like a have to have.

Now look at a compass plane...

[dan grant]

sold a plow plane yesterday since it was gathering dust and taking up space, four woodies came up on kijjiji, had to buy them, man im sick

[keith micinski]

I forgot I am also looking at getting a Veritas jointer plane fence even though I am always going to use my real jointer. I really hope this web sites server gets hit and goes down for the rest of my life otherwise I am going to have some issues.

[Van Huskey]

I forgot I am also looking at getting a Veritas jointer plane fence even though I am always going to use my real jointer. I really hope this web sites server gets hit and goes down for the rest of my life otherwise I am going to have some issues.

Just restrict yourself to Holtey plane, this should curtail your spending... :)

http://www.holteyplanes.com/

[gary Zimmel]

You've go to watch those hand tools. Mine seems to have the ability to multiply when I'm not in the shop....

[keith micinski]

Just restrict yourself to Holtey plane, this should curtail your spending... :)

http://www.holteyplanes.com/

I can't believe that someone was ridiculous enough to make a plane that expensive but what I really can't believe is that obviously there were lunatics out there buying them from him.