Stanley 65 lever cap vs. LN 102/Veritas apron

[Craig Dempsey]

I have been trying to pick up a Stanley 65 with the lever cap on ebay. It appears that I will need to bid nearly $60 to get what looks to be a good one, and then hope that what I get is as good as it looks in a picture. On the other hand I could pick an LN 102 or a Veritas apron plane for only an additional $15 and know what I am getting. The sticker is the lack of an adjustable mouth on the LN or Veritas. If you could have only one low angle block plane in this price range, which would you choose?

[Mike Henderson]

The Stanley 65 is an excellent plane but subject to cracking around the mouth. Many eBay sellers will claim "no cracks" but they don't look too hard and you may be disappointed when you receive the plane. Additionally, to really make the plane work well, you should upgrade the iron to one of the modern thick blades, which is an additional $35.

The thing about the LN 102 (or 103) is that you know what you're getting, LN will stand behind the plane, and the iron is thick and good quality.

The 102 is quite a bit smaller than the 65. The 65 is is larger than even a 60 1/2 (wider). The 102 is smaller than a 60 1/2. If the smaller size of the 102 is not an issue for you, I would purchase that. The fixed mouth should not be a problem for most uses.

I own the 102, the LN 60 1/2, and a Stanley 65 with modern blade. Most of the time, I use the 60 1/2 or the 65, but the 102 would probably serve if I didn't have the 60 1/2 or the 65.

Mike

P.S. If you're going to buy a 65 on eBay, send an e-mail to the seller and ask if there are any cracks around the mouth. When they come back and say "no cracks" ask if they will refund your purchase price and all shipping if you find cracks. At the very minimum, that makes them go back and take a good look before they answer you.