Plane question

[Gregg Feldstone]

Can anyone tell me if Stanley planes with corregated soles are still being made? I'm looking to buy a #4 smoothing and #7 jointer in excellent condition.
Are record rabbet planes still manufactured? I don't have the model # yet. All are made in England and purchased about 20 years ago (new I believe).

[Maurice Ungaro]

You might want to try posting this question in the Neanderthal Haven. Those guys probably have an answer for you.

[Pam Niedermayer]

Maurice, this is Neanderthal haven.

Gregg, sorry, but even if Stanley still made corrugated planes, which is highly unlikely, hardly anyone would recommend using a new Stanley plane.

Pam

[James Mittlefehldt]

Can anyone tell me if Stanley planes with corregated soles are still being made? I'm looking to buy a #4 smoothing and #7 jointer in excellent condition.
Are record rabbet planes still manufactured? I don't have the model # yet. All are made in England and purchased about 20 years ago (new I believe).

Which begs the question why corrugated in the first place, Stanley offered that feature in their best selling planes right up until they stopped making them in the states, circa 1970. I dont know if they continued it in England after that.

Pam is right though most modern Stanleys are not worth the effort.

For what it is worth I have a number of Ohio Tool planes one is corrugated the other three are not, and frankly I do not see a noticable difference in performance, but that may just be me.

[Michael Schwartz]

Don't waste your time with new Stanley's, they can be ok but their quality is spotty, and they are now where near the quality of the old ones. Plus you can get an old one that is far better for less money :D

The corigations in the sole make it easier to flatten out, reduce friction, and they supposedly reduce internal stresses in the casting and the stay flatter longer. Stanely dropped this featuer becasue there was no longer a market demand for it, or for that matter for hand-planes in general.

Lie Nelson offers corrugated versions of its planes, I guess people still want them for some reason or another :rolleyes:

Stanley planes with the designation C after the number ie 6C have corrugated soles.

The reccord planes are no longer made, They should at the very least be on par with a new stanely. There are some suppliers with Reccord planes in stock, and the Annant line of planes that is availible now is supposedly patterend after the reccord line, and should be similar.

I don't own any reccord planes, I do know they were regarded as beeing as good as stanelys at one point, but I don't know about their newer planes.

[Brian Kent]

"Lie Nelson offers corrugated versions of its planes, I guess people still want them for some reason or another."

Michael, thank you for that note. I was about to write, "You notice Lee Nielson doesn't offer corrugated planes". I just have never noticed one.

[Richard Niemiec]

I also have heard that Anant bought out Record's tooling for bench planes, but so far the jury is still out on the quality. Anant is making a "premium" line of bench planes now, and ditto on the jury still being out.

The OP might be better off getting a type 11 to 15 Stanley off of ebay or one of the forums; be prepared to pay serious dollars for a #7C, they are somewhat sought after, but there are more #4Cs available out there than 7Cs.

Also, don't overlook the Millers Falls #7; they are in my view equal to the Stanleys in quality and are a bit less expensive.

My 2 cents. RN

[Glenn Madsen]

I don't own any record planes, I do know they were regarded as being as good as stanleys at one point, but I don't know about their newer planes.

I bought a Record #4, 6 or 7 years ago. It hangs around because the son I would give it to has no current garage or workshop to put it in.

When he uses my shop, he knows not to get into 'the collectibles'. Not yet, anyway.;)