Received a Brand New LN #4 Late Last Night - Wow

[Mike Shields]

UPS made a delivery about 8:30 last night, only enough time to open the box and admire my first real LN plane. This #4 has to be the best built tool of any that I own. LN, without doubt, has exceptional build quality. I tried showing the wife the quality of the machining, but unfortunately, she doesn't have the same appreciation for tools. All she cares about is the projects that I make for her.

I can't wait to get home from work, and put this #4 to the test on some curly maple!

[Rob Luter]

UPS made a delivery about 8:30 last night, only enough time to open the box and admire my first real LN plane. This #4 has to be the best built tool of any that I own. LN, without doubt, has exceptional build quality. I tried showing the wife the quality of the machining, but unfortunately, she doesn't have the same appreciation for tools. All she cares about is the projects that I make for her.

I can't wait to get home from work, and put this #4 to the test on some curly maple!

Congrats! Beware the inevitable Rabbit Hole. The quality and performance of LN planes is addictive.

[Frederick Skelly]

You made a great choice with that tool and you’re gonna LOVE it.
I agree with Rob - beware the rabbit hole! (DAMHIKT)

[Joel Gelman]

Are you going to come home from work and and put it to the test on curly maple ... or are you going to come home, flatten the back of the blade to a nice mirror finish so your wife can see how shiny it looks, then address the bevel, strop etc...... and then put it to the test on curly maple?

[Aaron Rosenthal]

Spoilsport! LOL!!!

[Andrew Hughes]

The blade will need honing with a slight camber for best results.

[Mike Shields]

Are you going to come home from work and and put it to the test on curly maple ... or are you going to come home, flatten the back of the blade to a nice mirror finish so your wife can see how shiny it looks, then address the bevel, strop etc...... and then put it to the test on curly maple?

Aww man, it's a brand new tool.....I gotta use it at least once before I tear it apart and spend a few hours tweaking it! Kinda like redlining that new sports car before programming the radio presets. LOL.

[Mike Shields]

The blade will need honing with a slight camber for best results.

There was a small pamphlet in the box that mentioned exactly that.

[John Kananis]

For sure, nothing wrong with paying with a new "toy". You may want to pick a different wood until it's honed up though. Curly maple likes to laugh at hand plane sometimes. I have a bronz #4 that's used on just about everything before it can escape my shop, love it.


Aww man, it's a brand new tool.....I gotta use it at least once before I tear it apart and spend a few hours tweaking it! Kinda like redlining that new sports car before programming the radio presets. LOL.

[Bob Jones 5443]

...and fettle the chipbreaker. That's a source of some controversy, but it's helpful to do it.

[Aaron Inami]

Congrats! Beware the inevitable Rabbit Hole. The quality and performance of LN planes is addictive.

Dangit, you just lost a good zinger! here:

Beware of the inevitable Rabbet hole!

[Rob Luter]

I got a new #3 a while back. Here's the test drive:

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[Tony Shea]

Congratulations! As others said, def be careful of the rabbit hole! I'm a Lie Nielsen tool fan boy. In general I love all well made tools but LN is a local tool maker here in Maine therefore typically choose them over most tool makers.

I apologize for the sideways pictures. I didn't want to take the time to rotate and re-upload.


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[Jimmy Harris]

Lie Nielsen makes great tools for sure. I have a few of their offerings and thoroughly enjoy them all. Luckily, I also have an old Stanley No. 5 that for whatever reason, is my favorite plane to use. I have a bunch of other vintage and antique planes that don't hold a candle to my Lie Nielsens, but this one stands out. For that reason, I've managed to avoid building up too large of a collection of Lie Nielsen tools, knowing that they're consistently great quality, but not necessarily guaranteed to be the best.

Same with their saws. I have a LN dovetail saw that I absolutely love. I prefer it over my Disstons. But my favorite is a carcass saw I made myself out of $10 big box miter saw. It took a month to get the handle and tooth geometry just right, but it cuts like a dream and fits my hand perfectly!

[Bob Jones 5443]

Congratulations! As others said, def be careful of the rabbit hole! I'm a Lie Nielsen tool fan boy. In general I love all well made tools but LN is a local tool maker here in Maine therefore typically choose them over most tool makers.

I apologize for the sideways pictures. I didn't want to take the time to rotate and re-upload.


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I like your plane till. Mine is of a very similar design, right down to the brass screws and the tote notch under the smaller planes. But mine is against the wall and fully vertical, so I needed tabs at the top as well as bottom. And, of course, I have only four planes: two ancient Stanleys, one 1990s block plane, and one 2008 L-N 4-1/2. They’re at arm’s length, over my bench.

We must watch the same YouTube videos: my spokeshave rack is just like yours (albeit limited to three shaves).

As to the rabb(e)t hole, I’ve found that the tills put bounds around the number of such tools I can own. I waited to make them until I was sure I wasn’t going to buy any more planes or spokeshaves.

Tool love. Part of the fun.