Convince me I need an NX60 for $500 if you can.

[Scott Winners]

I am looking at nice block planes.

I have a homestore block plane now, about $25. I have about $200 worth of time in the edge of the iron in the $25 plane body. If (when) I drop my current block plane on my concrete shop floor I can drop another $25 at the homestore, move my good iron over and get back to work.

But I hate my inexpensive block plane. It doesn't fit my hand good and it is miserable to actually use for more than 30 seconds at a time. The mouth on that thing is enormous, like an elephant; and the edge of the cap iron sits more than one half inch back from the iron edge, probably 9/16 or so. Not 5/8, but blade chatter is pretty easy to find.

I am looking pretty hard at the Veritas DX60. It is US$229 (online/available) with PMV-11 iron. Lee Valley has already done $200 of prep work on the PMV-11 iron, my next homestore block plane body will be $25. Upgrading to PMV-11 alone is worth the $4 price difference to me, so the DX60 looks like an absolute slam dunk and I should just order one tonight and move on.

But I keep looking at the NX60 in PMV11 with the nickel infused ductile iron body ($499/ temporarily unavailable) and I don't want to regret later.

FWIW my garage shop's humidity swings between 10-15% winter and hits 70-85% RH summer. I buy jojoba oil in the big bottle at the hippie store from freaky girls with dreadlocks who smell like patchouli and I sling the jojoba oil around like there is no tomorrow because I don't want to spend next summer doing rust removal instead of wood working. My personal sweat doesn't seem to cause pitting type rust in metal tools.

Given these facts I simply cannot see a reason to spend an extra $270 to get the NX60 over the DX60.

I get there are many other block planes out there that a lot of people like very much. I would only consider other block planes available with PMV11 irons based on personal experience with multiple steels. At 35 degrees secondary angle and up I like A2 just fine. I have a lot of O1 in my shop. For a nice high dollar block plane I personally want PMV-11.

My tentative plan is to keep the homestore block plane for use away from my bench (upstairs window trim), and reserve my (likely) DX60 for use on my bench surrounded by floor mats.

Can anyone convince me I should spend 2.17x as many $ for the NX60 with the nickel in the body? It sure is pretty, but pretty is as pretty does.

Thanks

[Kent A Bathurst]

....I have about $200 worth of time in the edge of the iron....,

....when I drop my current block plane on my concrete shop floor....

....Lee Valley has already done $200 of prep work on the PMV-11 iron....

....I keep looking at the NX60....I don't want to regret later....

.... the hippie store...freaky girls with dreadlocks who smell like patchouli....

....I simply cannot see a reason to spend an extra $270 to get the NX60....

.....reserve my (likely) DX60 for use on my bench surrounded by floor mats....

Can anyone convince me I should spend 2.17x as many $ for the NX60 with the nickel in the body?

Scott - We're only a couple weeks past summer solstice, so actual night has just barely begun to return. I guess non-stop daylight can affect a person's analytic ability

I gotta tell you I loved reading your post.

Comments on the lines I clipped:
> Never before talked with anyone who places a value on their time sharpening a plane iron.
> If we wait a couple months, does that go up to $250 after more sharpenings?
> The old saying goes "even a dead cat bounces if you drop it from high enough". How high do $25 block planes bounce? How often?
> Start buying smaller bottles of jojoba. You need to go to that store more frequently.
> You forgot to factor the cost of the floor mats. If sharpening time has a cost, then surely the mats must also be considered.

Back to your actual point:

I reject your premise. You are seeking an analytical evaluation of a non-tangible issue, and tossing the rest of us under the bus to remove your accountability from the decision. Nope.

My point:

My wife is a breast cancer survivor for maybe 15 years. When it was all past us, on one of our regular trips to NYC for museums, Broadway, and fine dining, we went to Tiffany's on 5th Avenue. She inherited a love of pearls from her Mom. I sat her down at the counter and asked the salesperson to please show us pearl necklaces. We ended up with 4 candidates on the counter. As you might suspect, at Tiffany's the prices start high and go up from there. The price differences are very obvious in the necklaces' appearance.

My wife was looking and evaluating with a running commentary, and then asked me "Which one do you think I should get?"

Me:

"Nope. Won't get into that. All I can tell you is this: When you walk out of here with a new pearl necklace, don't be thinking about the one you did not get."

And me? I went outside, and had a cigarette, standing in Audrey Hepburn's spot from the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany's. It was a fine day.

[John Keeton]

Scott, there are wants and there are needs. From your comments, I take it that something other than your $25 plane could reasonably constitute a need. And, I agree on the PM-V11. In hope of not starting a controversy on steels, I will simply say it is my favorite edge steel.

But, the decision between the two Veritas planes likely comes down to a want. And, if one has the resources, there is nothing wrong with satisfying a want! It provides personal satisfaction, has an economic impact on the business provider, which, in turn, provides jobs for others.

If you get the NX60 you most likely will have no regrets. If you don’t you “may” not have regrets. Just DO IT!!:D

[George Yetka]

Do it. :)

I have and love the DX. it feels perfect. Im not sure how the NX can be 150% better

[Adam Grund]

Unless they are planning on producing soon, the nx60 has been unavailable in all forms as far as I know for as long as I’ve known about them (5-6yrs)
So if you’re holding out, you may be holding for quite some time

[Derek Cohen]

Scott, the NX60 is one of the best looking and conceived planes ever made! It has been an absolute joy to hold, use and look at for 15 years

Read my review written in 2008: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/VeritasPremiumBlockPlane.html

:)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bruce Mack]

I have the DX-60. It is a killer plane, hand-friendly and effective. I will never want another. I put my LN 60-1/2 aside when I acquired the DX.
Just buy it.

[Reed Gray]

There are a number of reviews of block planes on You Tube, and they are worth checking out. One interesting point made on one of them was about the Stanley cheap version, of which I have 2. The main comment was that they are hard to adjust, which translates to difficult to move the blade forward or backward in tiny increments. Other than that, there are many fine ones out there, and finding the one that is right for you, well, that is a journey, and if you have the money, you might end up with several....

robo hippy

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I nominate Kent’s response for a Pulitzer Prize in the Comment Category!

[Mike Manning]

I nominate Kent’s response for a Pulitzer Prize in the Comment Category!

Yeah, Kent's reply was great. I'm going to try and remember this part in particular..."when you come out with your new pearl necklace don't be thinking about the one you didn't buy".

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting question Scott.

It reminds me of my years of hunting for a low angle block plane. My first was a modern (late 1980s, made in England version) Stanley #60 type plane. It worked fine, but wasn't the one. Next was a similar plane from the maroon era (cordovan?). Also a good worker. For years I sought a #60 - 60-1/2 from an earlier era. The older Stanley models have much more bed engagement. I always seemed to get outbid on ebay.

I wish I had purchased a DX 60 or an NX 60 when they first came on the market (pre PMv-11). However, instead the LN #60 was less expensive so it was purchased. It is a nice plane but tends to be a bit on the heavy side and is difficult for me to grip due to an old hand injury.

Funny thing is after many years, while out rust hunting with a friend he picked up an old #60-1/2 and asked me what I thought of it. It was marked at $25. After being assured he wasn't interested in buying it I bought it for myself. This was in Oregon so there wasn't any sales tax. Not long after that another was found in a different antique mall in Washington, had to pay sales tax on that one.

Those became my go to low angle block planes for most jobs.

Back to your question:

It appears the first paragraph describing the NX60 only begins to explain the price.


This is our premium plane, made from a corrosion-resistant material – a nickel-resist ductile iron. Significantly more expensive than regular ductile iron, it contains about 20% nickel and retains all of the beneficial properties of regular ductile iron.

A consult with Dr.Google indicates the material can cost 5 to 10 times as much as other ductile irons. It is also tougher which means higher machining costs.

Currently the NX60 is not available. We are still living with the effects (after effects?) of a worldwide pandemic. Many links in the world wide supply chain have been broken. Some skills in material handling may have been lost and disrupted manufacturing on so many levels. Hopefully over time these situations will heal and we may return to smoother sailing.

Finally, it is shiny, that always costs more.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

We want what we want, so if it's a Maybach you desire, then that's fine.

However, the motivation for your upgrade seems to be aversion to the bad qualities of your 3-wheeled Yugo. There are many awesome vehicles in the middle ground.

The DX is still a Mercedes. You could get that AND the LV apron plane and still have a little left over for extra PMV11 blades to reduce your frequency of sharpening even further.

[Greg Parrish]

I think its an easy decision. The NX60 is not in stock at Lee Valley regardless of blade type with no indication of being in stock later. Simply indicates Not Available. Unless you have an angle on one somewhere else, it would mean going with the DX60 anyway. :)

[Richard Coers]

There is that age old saying, "Tools do not the craftsman make". Here is a link to all the Stanley block planes and their uses. Must be one in that list you would like more. https://virginiatoolworks.com/2014/01/27/stanley-block-planes-demystified/
Old block planes are dirt cheap and due to their size, do not take forever to restore.

[Eric Brown]

I have had and used the NX since it was first introduced. Advantages are that the nickel will not rust due to hand sweat and that is why I nickel plate many of my tools. They are easier to maintain and you don't worry about paint chipping. It will hold it's value probably due to limited availability. I just watched a Tucker vice go for $2000 and one was offered for $3000. I bought mine new from Lee Valley for $750 if I recall. Wish I had bought a second one, can't afford it now.

As for mechanical, the DX offers all the same features of the NX except for the nickel. The NX does weigh a lot and that sometime helps a little. It also wears me out quicker. As for size, I have small hands so finding a comfortable tool is important. Some block planes with similar features such as an adjustable mouth have a lever clamp that is so high hand my hand feels stretched. The NX and DX feel ok to me.

One more little point is that bronze bodied planes can leave a mark on the wood if they have oxidized any. Several passes will usually clean them up.

[steven c newman]

I have the Stanley No. 118, the "Boy Proof, low angle block plane..and yes it has taken a trip or two off the bench and onto the concrete shop floor....I simply pick it back up, check the iron alignment, and back to work it goes....I also have the Shelton No. 18 all steel low angle block plane which is a clone of the No. 18...


If either of these 2 should happened to be dropped onto the shop floor...they MIGHT bounce a bit...iron MIGHT slide a bit.....I just pick them back up. Their bodies are Stamped STEEL, and will not break. Countless kids have tried for generations, and failed, to break one of these "Boy Proof" planes while in Shop Class.

About like the fellow that walks into a dealership...drools over the C-8 Corvette...then buys the Chevy Equinox LT....and uses the "saved" $50K for other needed things....

[Kent A Bathurst]

Yeah, Kent's reply was great. I'm going to try and remember this part in particular..."when you come out with your new pearl necklace don't be thinking about the one you didn't buy".

Thanks Mike, but........the punchline is there was another couple right beside us, also looking at pearl jewlery.

I dropped that line, she looked at me and said "That's exactly how to look at it". Her husband was throwing daggers at me with his eyes. I hadda get a lot of gone between me and him, hence the Hepburn cameo.

Poor dumb sonuvagun never did nuttin' to me. And I tapped him for $5k more than he'd planned on.

I have it on good authority that line also works at Highland in the midst of the Lie-Nielsen and Auriou displays

Also - seriously now- I need to find a jojoba supplier in Atlanta like the ones they have in Alaska. Hippie stores with freaky girls? You check out my avatar lately? Them were the days.

[Richard Coers]

I just watched a Tucker vice go for $2000 and one was offered for $3000..
That sounds a little perverted, but no idea who Tucker is. Didn't expect to see that spelling error on this forum!

[Eric Brown]

That sounds a little perverted, but no idea who Tucker is. Didn't expect to see that spelling error on this forum!

What spelling error? Do a google search for tucker vice veritas and you will find a excellent pattern makers vice. Wish they would make it again.

[Richard Coers]

What spelling error? Do a google search for tucker vice veritas and you will find an excellent pattern makers vice. Wish they would make it again.
I'm pretty sure Veritas knows the difference between vice and vise. It seems you don't since you used the wrong spelling twice in your reply, so a little help for you so you don't have to do a Google search. By the way, I don't have to use Google to check the spelling.

A vice; noun



immoral (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=immoral&si=ACFMAn_otZSKbpzAqD_RvWk4YSL-m_hp-hDaKAsXdiXLnHy6j3NKy0uGf0dMk6a28CTdaB-d3DDs1harM2kNpw6So16ODXTE3g%3D%3D&expnd=1) or wicked behavior.
"an open sewer of vice and crime"

[Eric Brown]

I'm pretty sure Veritas knows the difference between vice and vise. It seems you don't since you used the wrong spelling twice in your reply, so a little help for you so you don't have to do a Google search. By the way, I don't have to use Google to check the spelling.

A vice; noun



immoral (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=immoral&si=ACFMAn_otZSKbpzAqD_RvWk4YSL-m_hp-hDaKAsXdiXLnHy6j3NKy0uGf0dMk6a28CTdaB-d3DDs1harM2kNpw6So16ODXTE3g%3D%3D&expnd=1) or wicked behavior.
"an open sewer of vice and crime"





Thank you. I didn't mis-spell, I used wrong word.

[steven c newman]

Eric....you forget to use the title "Professor" in your reply to the English Professor...no wonder he is mad.

However, having too many Vises can be considered a Vice....

[Jim Koepke]

However, having too many Vises can be considered a Vice....

But someone said you can never have too many clamps. I do not subscribe to that opinion. My neighbor bought a hole truck load of clamps when a local high school cleaned out their wood shop.

I bought a few from him and had to chip off dried glue for a couple days.

jtk

[Scott Winners]

Thanks for batting this around a little bit fellows.

I see the aesthetics as a vaild reason to buy the more expensive one if your kids have enough to eat. Likewise, some folks (not it) do have sweat that causes rapid metal corrosion.

I am going to order the less expensive one that by all accounts is mechanically identical and leave the other dollars in my shop account for other toys.

I have test driven several traditional looking block planes at various local woodworking classes and none of them feel right, none of them feel like just a tiny tweak here or there would make a dramatic difference. So I am going to try something different.

Thanks again.

[Derek Cohen]

There is that age old saying, "Tools do not the craftsman make". Here is a link to all the Stanley block planes and their uses. Must be one in that list you would like more. https://virginiatoolworks.com/2014/01/27/stanley-block-planes-demystified/
Old block planes are dirt cheap and due to their size, do not take forever to restore.

Dick, you are correct of course. Plus, there are always articles in magazines, such as FWW, showing how one can tune a sows ear into a silk purse. I am positive that we have all done this. I have a wonderful performing Stanley 60 1/2 in my workshop.

However, try and talk a fellow who seeks to purchase a Porsche that Hyundai is a good substitute. The NX60 is not simply about value-for-money - if you want that, get the DX60 as they are identical in construction and performance (actually, the DX60 is slightly better as the body is less slick). The NX60 is a Porsche. It is a stunning design, to admire on the shelf when not in use. It is the best performing block plane on the market - no better taking shavings than the LN 60 1/2, but the adjustments on the NX60 make it stand well above the rest. Most of all, it is a Porsche.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Greg Parrish]

And, unless there is some sort of secret stash, it is not available per the LV website. LOL. :)


Dick, you are correct of course. Plus, there are always articles in magazines, such as FWW, showing how one can tune a sows ear into a silk purse. I am positive that we have all done this. I have a wonderful performing Stanley 60 1/2 in my workshop.

However, try and talk a fellow who seeks to purchase a Porsche that Hyundai is a good substitute. The NX60 is not simply about value-for-money - if you want that, get the DX60 as they are identical in construction and performance (actually, the DX60 is slightly better as the body is less slick). The NX60 is a Porsche. It is a stunning design, to admire on the shelf when not in use. It is the best performing block plane on the market - no better taking shavings than the LN 60 1/2, but the adjustments on the NX60 make it stand well above the rest. Most of all, it is a Porsche.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Richard Coers]

Eric....you forget to use the title "Professor" in your reply to the English Professor...no wonder he is mad.

However, having too many Vises can be considered a Vice....
What is there to be mad about? He told me to Google Veritas, I did latter, and they have nothing with the word vice in the search. They call everything vise. Simple, no emotions to it. Despite some people thinking I'm a horrible person, I made a living for 41 years at several careers all based on perfection and being error free. My Dad insisted on it for the first 18 years of my life on the farm. We were strict Germans after all. I just simply continue to go through life like that after almost 71 years.

[steven c newman]

Just an "Old Mick" of 70 years....been working with me hands since I was 15.....Happy to say all the buildings I have built over the years are still in good shape.....I tended to work a tad slower than some, but..never had to go back and preform "Re-dos" like the faster workers had to do....I tried to get it right on the first time around....

Laying hardwood flooring through 3 rooms, and down a hallway and even into a closet.....and have ALL the joint lines align up straight through...on the first try...

Not a Professor by Trade....but I am a Carpenter by Trade. It is a nice feeling to be driving past a Project one worked one, and be able to point with a bit of Pride to others that, Hey, I built that!....

[Cameron Wood]

But someone said you can never have too many clamps. I do not subscribe to that opinion. My neighbor bought a hole truck load of clamps when a local high school cleaned out their wood shop.

I bought a few from him and had to chip off dried glue for a couple days.

jtk



LOL. Intended?

[Jim Koepke]

LOL. Intended?

No, my keyboard is old and some of the keys are sticky. I really didn't like the keyboard that came with my computer almost eight years ago.It has what look like Chiclets for keys. So I am using one from a much older model computer. Maybe I should take it outside and turn it upside down and give it a good shaking.

Though I could have said it was intended, since now my neighbor's building seems to be a black hole with clamps getting sucked into it.

jtk

[Derek Cohen]

I'm pretty sure Veritas knows the difference between vice and vise. It seems you don't since you used the wrong spelling twice in your reply, so a little help for you so you don't have to do a Google search. By the way, I don't have to use Google to check the spelling.

A vice; noun



immoral (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=immoral&si=ACFMAn_otZSKbpzAqD_RvWk4YSL-m_hp-hDaKAsXdiXLnHy6j3NKy0uGf0dMk6a28CTdaB-d3DDs1harM2kNpw6So16ODXTE3g%3D%3D&expnd=1) or wicked behavior.
"an open sewer of vice and crime"







UK English usage is "vice".

USA English usage is "vise".


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Frederick Skelly]

My wife was looking and evaluating with a running commentary, and then asked me "Which one do you think I should get?"

Me:

"Nope. Won't get into that. All I can tell you is this: When you walk out of here with a new pearl necklace, don't be thinking about the one you did not get."

+3. This is brilliant. And true!

[David Carroll]

In all my life I have never regretted spending money for things I wanted that were of high quality.

I have often regretted going cheap and buying poor quality things to save a few bucks. Often I later bought the higher quality item anyway.

For things like tools, my usual line to people who question spending $$$$ on a plane is, "I only have to buy it once!

DC

[George Yetka]

https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/high-end-lee-valley-veritas-no-nx60-low-angle-block-plane-105477

Needs some TLC

[Charles ThompsonWA]

UK English usage is "vice".

USA English usage is "vise".


Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, it's from Canada. I'd think that would make the UK usage expected, but perhaps the Quebecois has influenced it to "Vouz" or some other French spelling?

...I can only assume in Australia the standard is "ǝɔᴉΛ".

[James Jayko]

I think the biggest difference is "crappy plane" like your big box store plane, and "excellent plane" like a LN, Veritas, or a well tuned vintage Stanley or whatever. If you get an excellent plane, you won't be disappointed.

That said, that NX is $500 for its sex appeal. And if you want it, by all means get it, but justifying it based on its superior quality and subsequent results over another very good plane is a fool's errand. I can't believe its 3x+ better than their low angle block plane (that's the one I have). But, I mean, I still want it.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Derek, it's from Canada. I'd think that would make the UK usage expected, but perhaps the Quebecois has influenced it to "Vouz" or some other French spelling?

...I can only assume in Australia the standard is "ǝɔᴉΛ".


We have a winner !!

You played a bank shot off the Quebecois on your way to pocketing the verbal Coriolis effect.

My hat's off. Gonna have to start calling you "Sir".

[Kent A Bathurst]

https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/high-end-lee-valley-veritas-no-nx60-low-angle-block-plane-105477

Needs some TLC

Damage from hitting an Alaskan shop floor, no doubt. But there's several $ hundred worth of work in the iron, so buy the plane and toss the body. :)

All in good fun, Scott. I still love your OP.

[Jim Koepke]

https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/high-end-lee-valley-veritas-no-nx60-low-angle-block-plane-105477

Needs some TLC

May be too late for this round, it is marked "sold."

jtk

[George Yetka]

May be too late for this round, it is marked "sold."

jtk

It was there this morning

[Jim Koepke]

It was there this morning

Could it be Scott pulled the trigger at the bargain price?

jtk

[Kent A Bathurst]

Could it be Scott pulled the trigger at the bargain price?

jtk

We can only hope, Jim, we can only hope.

[Scott Winners]

I bought a factory new DX60 (D for ductile iron, US$229) from Lee Valley last night. I don't have shipping confirmation yet.

The NX60 (N for nickel) at Jim Bode was already sold when I followed the link, but I would have passed on it as I am not looking for another project.

[Kent A Bathurst]

OK sports fans.

3.5

That's the over/under in days between receipt of the DX60 and the onset of buyer's remorse.

Scott - friend - I was dead certain you were going for the NX. I was wrong.

[Greg Parrish]

I’ll add this post one more time (3 times now) as no one seems to be acknowledging it but Lee Valley does not have any NX60’s available. Unless you find a crusty one like linked above (but already sold) or a secret stash, there are no NX60’s to be had so the DX60 was the only real option here. Just saying.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I’ll add this post one more time (3 times now) as no one seems to be acknowledging it.....

Greg - dude - we heard you the first two times.

You are anchored to the inexorable realities of supply chain issues, and the real story here it the metaphysical properties of a block plane as a concept, not a thing.

We don't mind at all, but we will be neither bloodied nor bowed in our flights of fancy.

[Greg Parrish]

LOL. I understand. Carry on and I’ll keep the realities to a minimum moving forward. LOL. :)


Greg - dude - we heard you the first two times.

You are anchored to the inexorable realities of supply chain issues, and the real story here it the metaphysical properties of a block plane as a concept, not a thing.

We don't mind at all, but we will be neither bloodied nor bowed in our flights of fancy.

[Jim Koepke]

I’ll add this post one more time (3 times now) as no one seems to be acknowledging it but Lee Valley does not have any NX60’s available. Unless you find a crusty one like linked above (but already sold) or a secret stash, there are no NX60’s to be had so the DX60 was the only real option here. Just saying.

Greg, this was in my first post, the 11th post chronologically, in this thread. Admittedly it was a rather verbose post but I think others also raised unavailability as an issue.

jtk

[Scott Winners]

I’ll add this post one more time (3 times now) as no one seems to be acknowledging it but Lee Valley does not have any NX60’s available. Unless you find a crusty one like linked above (but already sold) or a secret stash, there are no NX60’s to be had so the DX60 was the only real option here. Just saying.


MMMMM, not so much. If someone had been able to make a compelling case the NX60 was a much better tool because of XYZ measurable attributes - then I have other money stacked and might have gone after one.

But there is no measurable attribute explicated here that justifies the price difference for me. I don't have corrosive sweat, and I am not hypnotized by the shiny on this one. There might be a weight difference between the NX and DX 60, but I doubt it is significant and the one reviewer I found who weighed both came up with the same number of grams for each.

The thing is I will know within ten minutes of opening the box if this is going to be "my" lifetime blockplane. If it doesn't fit my hand good it will be in the for sale section here same day and I will be looking for a Bailey #1 that will not be free or cheap.

[Joel Gelman]

What a great post by Kent Bathurst

[Prashun Patel]

With quality tools that are not highly specialized, you will be able to sell it - for very close to what you paid - if you don’t like it, use it, or out grow it….ever.

That has been my experience with the LV / LN bench, block, and bevel up planes.

[Chuck Hill]

> Start buying smaller bottles of jojoba. You need to go to that store more frequently.


^^ This! And the DX.

[Jim Koepke]

(actually, the DX60 is slightly better as the body is less slick)

For me, what Derek mentioned about the DX being less slick put my vote in the DX column.

jtk

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

To bad this forum doesnt have a like button

[Kent A Bathurst]

.... If it doesn't fit my hand good it will be in the for sale section here same day....

Not a good idea. This thread created a high risk of residual bad mojo - you don't want that to recirculate here. Like one of those scary movie curses which are transmitted by touch from person to person. The person who buys it touches all their tools, sells a couple, and...........

If one or two swipes show its unsuitability, wipe it clean and return it. I am certain LV will take it back. In fact, they are all probably hootin' and hollerin' while following this conversation.

[Prashun Patel]

You will like it. It will take a while to realize whether it is for you and your forever plane though.

And I disagree about the bad mojo. It will take a lot more than this thread to sully its reputation. Plus, nobody is disparaging the quality - just the price (which, if you read any Dan Arielly, actually increases demand for some goods)

[Kent A Bathurst]

And I disagree about the bad mojo. It will take a lot more than this thread to sully its reputation.

I meant this one specific plane - not all DX60 - just the one he's getting. And if he doesn't want it, return for full price versus selling here.

Plus - your just never know about curses and hexes

[Prashun Patel]

Curses are reversible, Kent. Amiright? ;)

[Kent A Bathurst]

Curses are reversible, Kent. Amiright? ;)

Ouch :)


1010101010

[Kent A Bathurst]

Any one heard from Scott whether of not the DX60 is fit for purpose?

Maybe he went to the hippie store and never came back out.

[Ted Calver]

Is it possible the first shavings looked like dreadlocks, smelled like patchouli and now we won't hear from Scott for a while?

[Jim Koepke]

I bought a factory new DX60 (D for ductile iron, US$229) from Lee Valley last night. I don't have shipping confirmation yet.

The NX60 (N for nickel) at Jim Bode was already sold when I followed the link, but I would have passed on it as I am not looking for another project.



…

The thing is I will know within ten minutes of opening the box if this is going to be "my" lifetime blockplane. If it doesn't fit my hand good it will be in the for sale section here same day and I will be looking for a Bailey #1 that will not be free or cheap.


Any one heard from Scott whether of not the DX60 is fit for purpose?

Maybe he went to the hippie store and never came back out.


Is it possible the first shavings looked like dreadlocks, smelled like patchouli and now we won't hear from Scott for a while?

It looks like the DX60 was ordered and "If it doesn't fit my hand good it will be in the for sale section here same day … "

Sounds like this may be a no news means it filled the open spot on Scott's tool shelf.

jtk

[Kent A Bathurst]

It looks like the DX60 was ordered and "If it doesn't fit my hand good it will be in the for sale section here same day … "

Sounds like this may be a no news means it filled the open spot on Scott's tool shelf.

jtk


I think he's sitting there, thinking about the pearl necklace he left behind in Tiffany's, and trying to convince himself he will get over it one day.

[Jim Koepke]

LOL!

jtk

[Scott Winners]

Actually I took two weeks off posting on the internet, I guess about two weeks ago. I had a face to face interaction with a person here in town, I knew for sure one of us two had been spending too much time on the internet, and I could not be sure it wasn't me. So I took two weeks off.

I did get the D for ductile DX-60 block plane delivered while I was on vacation. For me it was love at first grasp. Just lifting it out of the shipping box, still wrapped in the special paper, I knew I had found my block plane.

The little planes, smaller than Bailey #4, are just uncomfortable for me. I figure it is similar to cowboy boots or work boots. If a boot fits you good, it is a good boot for you, but that does not mean that same boot would fit my feet worth a hoot. I haven't honed it, haven't installed the iron in the body, never touched wood. So far I just have it out of the box looking at it and picking it up every once in a while. Whatever its (her?) quirks prove to be, I am going to have to learn to work with or around them, cause I am keeping it (her?).

FWIW I am a late 50's years old farm kid with two kinds of arthritis and I wear a size 8.5 surgical glove. The only other plane I own smaller than a #4 Bailey that feels this good in my hands is the Veritas RH plow plane. I will bring the DX-60 with me to all the woodworking classes I attend, for life. If we never meet, I do agree the pricepoint is intimidating for a block plane, but the resale value should be exceptional should you miss the return window.

I will post a review in a year or so, I am fixing to put this thing to work.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Outstanding, Scott! Glad the DX hit the target. Thanks very much for the follow-up.

In your absence, I was conjuring various nefarious scenarios.

And - remember - smaller jojoba bottles, and more visits to the hippie store.

Be well.

[George Yetka]

Scott,

My DX was ordered Sep 5, 2016. Still love it. I think you will feel the same in years to come. Out of the 5 planes I own its still my favorite.

[Rob Luter]

I like a larger block plane. I had a couple each Stanley #65 and Stanley #18 that found new homes in the great plane purge a few years ago. Both we’re KJ style and filled my big mitts very well.