"Soft bottom" planes

[Nicholas Lawrence]

"The auction site" has a couple of planes that are described as "soft bottom". They look like normal number 4 Baileys to me. Can anyone enlighten me about what a "soft bottom" is?

[Allan Speers]

Probably a corrugated sole:

- Striped recesses, originally designed wit the idea it would help the plane slide better due to less resistance. Clinically proven to not make much difference at all, though it would be less work to flatten the sole, if needed.

[Jim Belair]

Probably a corrugated sole:
.

That doesn't appear to be it from photos in the listing. Likely another seller that doesn't know what they're talking about.

[Greg R Bradley]

You found a seller that knows what they are talking about? Must be the only one :)

[Jim Koepke]

+1 on what Jim said. Often the sellers have no idea what they are selling. They may have seen a listing for a "smooth bottom" plane and somehow got it wrong and listed it as a "soft bottom."

jtk

[Allan Speers]

That doesn't appear to be it from photos in the listing. Likely another seller that doesn't know what they're talking about.


Good point.

[mark kosse]

They may have seen a listing for a "smooth bottom" plane and somehow got it wrong and listed it as a "soft bottom."

jtk

Bingo!

When my kids sand a project they say it's "soft". I ask them if I hit them in the head with it would they still think it was soft. :)

[Mel Fulks]

And when reading British info on sharpening stones "soft" often means fine cutting ,not fast wearing.