A gift for dad No 4 plane?

[Mike Putnam]

Hi all, Dads birthday is quickly approaching and I would like to find a good bench plane. This would be his first "real plane" If you had to sart with only one would this be the size? thinking either 4 or 4 and a half. Have been looking at something like the Lie Nielson bronze but not to sure whats what in the world of planes. Lie Nielson, Clifton, Veritas? or something I don;t know about? what would be THE plane? what would your first choice be? hoping to keep it under 350-400$. Dads had a rough year and deserves something nice ( my brother passed away last december undergoing a bone marrow transplant for leukemia at age 30)

thanks for your time

[Roy Wall]

Mike -

the LN 4.5 is their best selling bench plane and is excellent. I think its wider footprint is great- and it is my first choice. A much more substantial tool than the #4, IMHO. Your Dad will love it!
I'm very sorry to hear the news about your brother - my prayers are headed your way to all your family....

[Terry Beadle]

Sorry to hear of your loss. Regarding 'the plane', I would recommend a LN 5 1/2 as it would do almost everything more than fairly well. Smoothing and Jack work and since it's longer than a 4 1/2 it will do pretty good joint work.

If this is his first plane, you might want to hold off and get him a video like David Charlesworth's CD or Course, medium and fine. These are really good investments as they can be viewed many times and they will give your Dad a good introduction to hand planes, how to sharpen them, and Charlesworth does a really good job of how to use them.

my 2cents

[Clint Jones]

Get him a LV LA Smooth or jack plane and a LN 103 . You will spend about the same as a LN 4.5 for both of these planes.

[Ryan Cathey]

I would go with a vintage plane or an LN. Both are much more traditional in appearance and this is appreciated by most begginers as familiar and comforting when learning.

[Ray Sheley]

Sorry to learn of your family's loss. It's never easy.

I don't think one plane will do it, you need at least 2 to make your life easier. Though I'm sure that many get by with one.
Of course it is all personal, but If I were to choose just 2 planes (right!!, snicker, snicker, it's a terrible slope.) I would probably opt for an adjustable mouth block plane, probably low angle with 2 blades at different angles, and a 5 1/2. Between these you COULD accomplish everything reasonably well.
If you are really going to stick to only 2 and not enter plane geekdom, suck it up and get the LN or Veritas versions. They are good to go with minimal fuss and there is little chance of them not working out. If you are handy and don't mind fiddling, get a vintage good bones StanleySargent/M-F set and possibly upgraded blades, however much your pocketbook would handle. These can usually be made to work well, but occasionally you do get bit if you miss something. Good luck and enjoy.

[Caleb Dietrich]

Hi Mike.

I'm also sorry to hear about your family's loss. I have 3 brothers. It's tough to think about lossing one.

You'll get numerous responses about individual's personal favorites. Since it is a gift, I think you should buy your father a Bronze Lie-Nielsen #4 with cocobolo handles. It's a very very versitile plane. But more importantly, in this case, it's Beautiful. As he grows his collection, (as he surely will after falling in love with his first plane) your present will stand out. I was given a similar gift by my wife, and I don't use it without thinking about that, since I might not have spent the extra $ to really make it special. The 4 1/2 and 5 and 5 1/2 are important planes to have, but none of them, IMO, are show stoppers. Sounds like your dad deserves that...

[Dennis O'Leary]

Sorry for your loss.

For traditional looks/appeal, the LN's are the go (I don't have any)

If you want a plane that works right out of the box (I'm sure the LN would) , is easy to adjust, easy to use with great results, can handle difficult grain and end grain with ease, will flatten boards and joint edges OK, and gives you a heap of value for your dollar, then the LV LA Jack is a great choice. Depends on wheather your Dad would value the ''old-time' looks vs the practicality and great results from the modern, adjustable mouth LV LA planes.

Google 'LV Low angle jack' for reviews.

IMHO old stanleys work well when set up correctly, but do not offer the ease of use of the LV planes. Clearing the jammed mouth of the LV tahes about 2 seconds, and doesn't alter the set. Huge advantage, for me. Still love the #7C, and I have all sizes bar #1-3, BTW.

Good luck choosing.

[Alan Turner]

Mike,
If the debate is between the LN 4 and 4.5, my vote would be the 4. It can be hard pushing a smoother, depending upon the wood, and adding extra width makes it a bit harder. If you go with the No. 4, in iron, you could add a LN 102, which is an awfully sweet and handy block plane. You would still be under the limit you set.

This pair would get him going quickly, and he would need only a shoulder plane to complete the basic plane portion of his tool kit.

[Mike Putnam]

thank you all for your responses I know you would give me a lot to think about, I'll check back and see what else eveyone has to say but this gives me a good start. I will look into the LV and do some more browsing (man its fun)I'm learning alot! thanks again

[Ken Werner]

I'm with Alan.
Ken

[Jerry Palmer]

For a single plane, I would opt for the LV low angle Jack. As mentioned about the Jack, it can serve as a smoother and a Jack and even for some jointing work. The bevel up design of the Low Angle model also allows one to install a low angled blade for end grain including shooting, and an optional high angle blade for working difficult face grain.

Don't know that you can get that much versatility from another plane.