KnIght smoothers

[Bob Marino]

Is anyone familiar with the Knight smoothers, coffin style or others? How do they compare to other wooden planes, the Primus for example?

Bob

[Mark Singer]

Primus have a great adjuster...the Knight you adjust with a hammer. I don't have Knight,but I have many tap to adjust wedged woodies....the Primus is hard to beat! and many of my others are finely tuned. The 711 Reform smooter would be my choice.. The Hnt Gordons are very good as well...from what I hear

[Steve Wargo]

you may wait for Pam to respond to this one. I've heard mixed reviews, but have never used one.

[Mark Bergman]

Bob -

I have several of Steve's smoothers (different bedding angles) and I'm very happy with them all. The mouths are super fine, shavings are delightfully thin, and you can tighten up the mouth after many many sole flattenings if needed. Blade adjustment for me is very easy, and I've never seen a negative review of his planes. Also have one of his scubs, a plow, and a male/female dovetail, which I haven't gotten around to trying yet. I'm a big fan.

[Lloyd Robins]

Bob, all my larger planes - jointer, jack, and smoothers (45 and 60) are Knights. I like them alot. I got one on a whim, and it is what helped turn me the enlightened side of woodworking. I don't have much trouble adjusting them. The feel of wood on wood when planing is very nice. I know that others who frequent this site use them. Hopefully they will chime in.

[Nathan Goins]

Love my Knights. Have a smoother, jointer, and jack. All very well made, and work flawlessly. Yes, you adjust with a hammer, but you get the hang of that pretty quick and it's easy. Plus you can call and talk to Steve himself, and order all sorts of custom touches. Get some weight added to it, it helps.

edit: Woodworkers web seems to be down, when it comes back up there's a pic of a pair from my fleet...

http://www.woodworkersweb.com/modules/gallery/albums/albuz09/ColinANDplanes.sized.jpg

[Steve Kubien]

I love my Knight planes. I have a 45 degree smoother and a jointer, both in padouk. After much back and forth about design and materials, Steve was good enough to make a plow plane for me as well. The only non-Knight plane I use with any regularity is my LV LA block.

Happy in Ajax Ontario,

Steve Kubien

[Tim Sproul]

Is anyone familiar with the Knight smoothers, coffin style or others? How do they compare to other wooden planes, the Primus for example?


I cannot compare but will give these points to my many Knight planes:

1. Performance. They flat out do the job and do the job exceptionally well.

....why do they perform well?

Thick iron....1/4 inch thick irons don't chatter and are easily hand sharpened.

Good mating between bed, iron and wedge - good construction.

Good ergonomics. I easily push or pull any of my Knight planes.

Good service. Steve is responsive (not instantaneous but if you work wood, you MUST have a good dollop of patience anyways) to inquiries. Steve will also work with you to develop the plane YOU want....such as the 32 inch long planes with 3 inch wide irons that are in transit at the moment ;). Want a 10 inch smoother rather than a 9 inch? Sure. Want a 18 inch Jack? Sure......want bubinga instead? Sure. Want to make some planes from Angico you send him? Sure. Want that coffin smoother to come in at over 5 pounds? Sure.

I also like how Steve positions the mouth close to the middle of the planes....this gives you the "most" out of the sole length.

I have Veritas planes that I also like but almost always reach for a Knight plane. I dumped all of my antique metal bodied planes (Stanleys and Sargents that performed well...but not nearly as well) after I used a Knight plane.