Veritas - New Line of Hand Planes?

[Will Blick]

I have heard the hints around this forum. I am considering some new HP purchases, and am curious if anyone knows what the rumors are about the new Hand Planes Veritas is working on.... ?

[Brent Smith]

Hi Will,

The last thing I read was on the UK forum. Rob was still being VERY close to the chest....kinda unlike him :cool:. He said he wants to wait till they're ready to sell, which will be sooner than later, before he gives out any info.

[Montgomery Scott]

This was posted by Derek Cohen over at Woodnet not long ago:

"Well, I have only seen and used one of the new planes, but I must say that it was simply breath-taking. Easily one of the best thought out designs and the most stunning looker to boot.

That is not intended as a teaser but to answer your question.

Regards from Perth

Derek"

Based only on inference I would guess you better be able to spend several hundreds on one plane, but hopefully I'm wrong.

[John Schreiber]

The hints I have heard from Rob Lee on this board seem to indicate that they will be more up scale than their current line. My guess is that means tools that may work a small amount better than their usual, but which will be highly detailed, will look very good and will cost a lot more.

[Will Blick]

John, your logic sure makes sense... as often is the case...as their current line of planes sure have a ton of value IMO...

I hope Rob goes after the Bridge City type planes.... a bit more bling, a few more features, some more heft, etc.

Based on LV's new product offerings, they rarely if ever miss their intended target. The right combination of factors which create successful products..... any idea on announce date?

[John Powers]

With this economy I think the "intended target" will get smaller and smaller. I cannot imagine LV or LN tacking another dime onto their tools. I am not questioning the quality or the value but I know I personally am looking more at garage sales and flea markets than catalogs and saying that I just don't need that little jewell. I defer to the craftsmen on this as I am just a hacker working on another set of oars and a new rowboat.

[Will Blick]

they say in hard times, the rich still spend....so maybe that is the strategy... the wealthy ww and / or tool collector. I was told about 1/2 of BCT planes never get used... just collectors... interesting, huh...

[Dave Lehnert]

they say in hard times, the rich still spend....so maybe that is the strategy... the wealthy ww and / or tool collector. I was told about 1/2 of BCT planes never get used... just collectors... interesting, huh...

I work in retail and for years we built our business on low end bargain shoppers. But in the last few months we have switch to capture the higher end shopper. Sounds crazy but the typical bargain shopper does not have the money to spend right now.

[Rob Lee]

Hi Will -

We are cranking on designs at both ends of the spectrum... from planes starting at $40, and running up to .... well .... higher....

Our premium line will still be excellent value - and while it's easy to promise different materials, finishes, and higher tolerances... they will still be good value...

Some of what we learn on the "higher end" will be applied directly to the rest of our line too ...

I know I'm deliberately not saying much... but what I am saying will make a lot more sense in just a few weeks....

Cheers -

Rob

[Greg Cole]

Dunno about unveiled ones. But I went to work and to my pleasure there was a box from LV on my chair awaiting me... with a LA Jack with 3 different pitch blades.;)
This one is quite nice I'd say.

[Pedro Reyes]

Rob,

Thanks for chiming in. World Class! I am glad you are looking to extend your high end tool knowledge to the rest of the line, makes me think of great companies like VW-Audi-Porsche who do the same thing by sharing the innovations throughout their product line, world class.

I just went to look at my LV medium shoulder plane, and was wondering, how much better could this get? Sorry, I doubt it can be done, whoever was part of the design team for this tool (Mech E. myself) deserves major recognition.

Looking forward to the release.

/p

[Will Blick]

OK Rob, you peaked my curiosity, I await!

BTW, for what its worth.... I love your planes, in the Bench variety, I have the BU smoother, LA Jack and the BU Jointer...

I think your planes are just remarkable value, and they are extremely functional, easy to operate, great feel, great irons, etc. I could not be happier.....but then....

I strayed a little.... I bought a BCT CT-12 Bench plane....

http://www.bridgecitytools.com/images/products/218/zoom_1101-185.jpg

and I was stunned how well this plane worked. It's weight, blade support mechanics, its heavy iron, excellent ergonomics, all worked in concert and it's beyond a joy to work with. Now granted, this plane cost about 4x what yours cost, so from a value stand point, LV wins hands down. But this BCT plane demonstrated a new level of performance for me, and yes, I liked it. Agreed, this comes down to Toyota vs. Porche, both do the job, but sometimes its the experience that moves us.

I feel like this is a confession, I think I cheated on LV, now I feel guilty :-( I hope you can forgive....and still allow me to purchase from your premium line? Please?

[Rob Lee]

(snip)

I feel like this is a confession, I think I cheated on LV, now I feel guilty :-( I hope you can forgive....and still allow me to purchase from your premium line? Please?

Will -

Go forth and plane some more....:D ... all is forgiven.

Having choice in tools in tools is a good thing. No one else can decide what you like, for what reason, or how you ascribe value to a tool. There will be a "best" tool for every user - and it can be a different tool for each. Much of the results one gets from tool usage can be due to how you approach, maintain, or wield the tool; I would argue that specialised or expensive tools are wielded with purpose, forethought, and are better maintained - all factors which result in superior results.

Tools are part of the jouney - not the destination ...


Have to go rake my virtual zen garden now....:rolleyes:;)

Cheers -

Rob

[Michael Pilla]

I feel like this is a confession, I think I cheated on LV, now I feel guilty :-( I hope you can forgive....and still allow me to purchase from your premium line? Please?


You mean we're supposed to pick one brand only??? ;)
My plane cabinet is mostly LV planes because they suit me best but it's peppered with a few LN, Bridge City and vintage Stanleys to fill in the gaps.

It's a great time to be a handtool person for sure :D


Michael

[Will Blick]

> Tools are part of the jouney - not the destination ...


In some cases, yep!!


Thank you for your forgiveness Rob ! i knew you would understand! Nothing beats a good sense of humor, thanks! ;-) I hope you announce your new planes here first !

[Will Blick]

> but what I am saying will make a lot more sense in just a few weeks....


OK Rob, your few weeks are up! ;-) Tease us, we have been patient.....

[Douglas Brummett]

Tee hee hee, someones watching the clock :D:D:D

I think we will have to wait until after Berea.

[David Keller NC]

Should be interesting. I've some of Lee Valley's offerings, and they are indeed well-made and perform well. That said, most of my work-a-day planes are Lie-Nielsen, because I just don't care for the looks of the Lee-Valley bench planes. I like the company and buy things from them fairly often, so I'd welcome a more traditional design with more aesthetic appeal (at least to those of us curmudgeons that think they already know what a plane "should" look like :D).

[Aaron Kline]

Wll, I think Rob gave us a good clue. Look at the Lee Valley ad at the top of the page. 24 NOVEMBER 2008 with a new veritas V logo.;) Rob, you are an evil, evil man. You will single handedly be responsible for folks not showing up to work all across the country on that date. And we still give you business. Talk about loyalty:D

[John Schreiber]

I had to turn the ads on to see this:

101020

My guess is that we will learn something soon. Perhaps Very Very Veritas.

[Joe Cunningham]

I dunno what is coming down the pike, but I am asking for a LV skew rabbet plane for Christmas.

I might be able to sneak in a small plow plane too if I am really really good. I guess that means I need to finish that hall table I've been promising...:rolleyes:

[Derek Cohen]

I dunno what is coming down the pike, but I am asking for a LV skew rabbet plane for Christmas.

Save extra pennies. You will want to spend them. This I promise! (wink ... wink)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Steve Evans]

Should have been at the Woodnet party. That's all I'm allowed to say, at least I think that I can say that, am I allowed to mention that Rob, oh never mind, disregard...:D:D:D

[Rob Lee]

Yeah -

This is where we find out if 60 people can keep a secret...we have 850 staff that can....!:D

Cheers -

Rob
(converting teasee's to teasers...:rolleyes:)

[Jim Koepke]

Darn, being a contributor and having automatic log-in, I do not get the ads.

Guess I will just have to wait.

jim

[Glenn Clabo]

Go to User CP...then under...
Edit Options: Your Login & Privacy
Check the yes box....
Contributors, by default, do not see any ads. Use this to customize your ad experience. You can change these options at any time.
No - I would not like to see advertisements (default)
Yes - I would like to see advertisements

[James Mittlefehldt]

If it's any comfort to you guys, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Leonard Lee recently and if I can believe him, he does not know anything about the new planes coming either. Said that was Robin's thing and he was not in the loop.

[Brent Smith]

Yeah -

This is where we find out if 60 people can keep a secret...we have 850 staff that can....!:D

Cheers -

Rob
(converting teasee's to teasers...:rolleyes:)

And the bribes are flying now :D.

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks Glenn,
Only took me two times trying. The second time it actually occurred to me to save the changes.

jim

[David Keller NC]

Something that occurs to me after noting the copy of the ad posted by John - Why would one pick Thanksgiving week for a major announcement - to get all the wives a chance to get an order in for Christmas shopping? Based on Chris Schwarz' blog about Wives Against Schwarz, I kinda doubt that was too strategic a decision. :D

[John Gornall]

Lee Valley being a Canadian company may have missed the date as Thanksgiving - Thanksgiving was Oct 13th in Canada.

[David Keller NC]

Yeah, that occurred to me. Makes sense that it would be earlier up there - if the memory from my grade school history classes serves me, Thanksgiving has a close association with harvest festivals - I imagine that'd be quite a bit earlier where the growing season is 2 months long...

[Bernie Wynia]

Wonder what the odds Lee Valley would have some at the Ottawa Wood Show (Nov. 28-30th), given that they are an Ottawa-based company?

[Johnny Kleso]

I heard a secret and my word is my bond so I cant say.....

I'm not sure if its the same LV tool, if it is your guys work fast...

[Johnny Kleso]

I heard a secret about 2 months ago but I'm not saying only I think when this tool comes out everyone wil be suprised...

[Brent Smith]

Wonder what the odds Lee Valley would have some at the Ottawa Wood Show (Nov. 28-30th), given that they are an Ottawa-based company?

I think the odds are pretty good. From the ads appearing it looks like they will start to be available on the 24th.

[Joe Cunningham]

I dunno what is coming down the pike, but I am asking for a LV skew rabbet plane for Christmas.

Save extra pennies. You will want to spend them. This I promise! (wink ... wink)

Regards from Perth

Derek

Well if it is just a few pennies. :D

[Ben Rafael]

Could it be an Infill plane that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

[John Schreiber]

Well if it is just a few pennies. :D

http://oldstersview.files.wordpress.com/2006/08/pennies2.jpg

That's 1,000,000 pennies. $10,000 worth, but it's just pennies.

[Joe McMahon]

As one of the "guys from WoodNet" I can tell you that you won't be disappointed!

I got a chance to examine, hold and play with two new planes coming from Lee Valley on Nov 24th. Rob Lee said that he commissioned the designers to make the planes without regard to cost as he was looking for quality , fit, finish and function. The designers didn't let him down with two versions of the same plane, a standard model as well as a top of the line model which is made from a new metal that is not stainless steel yet will resist rust and tarnish as well as ss. After they were designed, Rob then told the designers to produce both planes but save some $ on the cost. Again they replied with two excellent planes that are priced right.

Both were as fine a melding of metal parts as you will find anywhere. They fit the hand like a glove and had the heft and strong feel of a solid piece of metal. While I didn't have the time to try them on wood, I am certain that they will perform as well as they look.

If you have not had a chance to meet Rob Lee, you are really missing out! He is a real gentleman who speaks to you, and not at you. For a person who is the head of such a large company, Rob acts and talks just like your next door neighbor. (or at least how you would like your next door neighbor to act). His personality matches his company and their customer service, top notch!!

All in all, getting a sneak preview and test driving the toys from Lee Valley was all you could hope for and more, a LOT more!

[Will Blick]

Hi Joe, thanks for the heads-up on the LV planes.

Wow, LV new planes sound great.... we all patiently await..... From this forum, Rob seemed exactly as you described... his personality and people skils are probably a big component of Lee Valley's success.

[Ryan Cathey]

Sure did! I even tried the sucker out!! :D:D:D

[Marcus Ward]

*rocks boat*

I like hand planes.

[Mike Brady]

I got a quick glance at the planes at WIA. Let me say that I own no planes from this maker. I believe they offer a high quality product and unsurpassed customer service. That said, if you are a fan of innovation in design and materials, you will like these. If you are a fan of the planes from Maine, maybe not. Think Bridge City. I would bet that they will perform very well, and most likely will be at a higher price than their current offerings.

They are offering some very contemporary dovetail saws also. LV does not design from a historical perspective. Some people are very excited about them, but they left me cold. I thought they looked like a commercial hardware store saw. On the other hand, I'm confident they will perform, based on the engineering that went into them.

[John Schreiber]

. . . On the other hand, I'm confident they will perform, based on the engineering that went into them.
You are right on there. Different things make different people happy. I'm thrilled by new approaches to old problems. If they work better, make manufacturing easier, or even just improve on the old, that's what excites me.

That's part of what I like about Lee Valley.

[Will Blick]

> I like hand planes.


:-) too funny.....

[Vivian Ecker]

I hope Lee Valley is watching the calendar as much as I am. :D Tomorrow is November 24....

Vivian

[Charles Davis]

It's the 24th... where are my new planes?!?!?!? Lol... was hoping that the site would update at midnight (in one of the time zones)... this is tool junkie torture! I need a fix!! I've already loaded my cart with quite a bit, including the new saw...

My guess for the new tools are a large plow plane or something similar that allows for complex profile cutters... along the lines of the BCT HP6v2... at least, that's what I'm hoping for.
-Charles

[Chris Kennedy]

Almost 7AM, EST -- still no planes.

*fingers tapping*

[Rob Lee]

Should be go good now Chris....

Cheers -

Rob

[JD Dolan]

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?p=61963&c=2

[Richard Magbanua]

Dag, lost my internet connection and you beat me to it!
Wow, looks like butta! Rob, I didn't see any info on horsepower, acceleration, top speed, etc.. Does the premium model qualify as "bling" for the woodworker? Nice job and well done!!!

[Marcus Ward]

Ah I'm not sure about how I feel about those. I keep getting this image in my head...

http://www.chrisabraham.com/porsche-911-turbo-thumb.jpg

[Thomas Knighton]

Oh. My. God.

That is a thing of beauty! Rob, you folks have outdone yourselves, haven't you?

Now I know what I want for Christmas! ;)

Tom

[John Schreiber]

It wasn't the first thing I did when I woke up this morning, but it was pretty close.

I think these are first 21st century planes. I know they won't appeal to all, but they appeal to me. And, I know that they will work as well as they look.

The copy says "Close manufacturing tolerances reduce backlash to no more than 1/4 turn." That's really something.

As for the new dovetail saw, . . . I can't say that I think it's attractive, but it may grow on me. If it's a quality saw, as I would expect, it's a bargain though.

[James Mittlefehldt]

Comimg soon endorsements as the official plane of Batman and Buck Rogers. They look like they sould rise up on a cushion of air and plane the wood themselves. I am speechless............... almost.

[Doug Shepard]

I dont know that it's going to make me sell off my LN Adj. Mouth block plane and replace it, but it sure would look cool zippin down my Hot Wheels track.:D

[Brent Smith]

I put in my order at 7:00 this morning. Should be playing with it on Wednesday!!!

[Mike Henderson]

I don't need another block plane, but I can't wait to get my hands on one to see what it feels like. Shame there's no store around here. But one of my friends will buy one soon.

Mike

[Michael Faurot]

When I'm ready for my mid-life crisis I've decided I'm going to want an NX60 instead of a sports car. ;)

[Joel Goodman]

I'm sure they are excellent planes but am I the only one who isn't in love with the "retro streamline" look?

[Bill Moser]

The chromed one definitely channels the old Millers Falls "Buck Rogers" vibe. very cool...

[Eric Brown]

I just got my premium block plane it it exceeds my expectations in almost every way.

1. It is beautiful. (Piece of art!)
2. It won't rust.
3. It has substatial weight.
4. Tried it on some different woods and it performed well.
5. It gives me hope that other tools will be made better. Not only from Lee Valley but from competitors also.

What I wish for it that they bring out most the line at the premium level. It's about time to bring out handtools the exceed those of the past. Everyone likes the old Infill planes because of looks, weight, blade angles, etc. Lee Valley might be first producer to have the volume so that the costs would be lower than the what the few custom makers are charging. I hope Lie-Nielson starts improving also.

Here's one idea - If Lee Valley would put together a list of about 20 tools and let the buyers "vote" which they would like to see next in the premium style.

I would buy the shoulder planes and router planes in the nickle as soon as they are available.

[Will Blick]

Eric, thanks for the comments...do you have the "ol school" LV block plane? I am curious how the two compare in terms of performance. I would suspect the original LV plane is so damn good, its hard to beat it on performance?

[Eric Brown]

Will, I do not own any other Veritas planes. My collection is primarily Stanley, Lie-Nielsen and a variety of others.
What I have observed is that properly tuned planes with thick blades act about the same. Thinner blades aren't worth the effort. The big difference you get with the better planes is the precision and ease of use they provide. With the new premium block plane from Veritas I tried adjusting for thick and thin cuts, end grain, taking it apart a couple times. I found it to be the best plane I have at this time for ease of adjustment. The Lie-Nielsen plane are also very well made and cut just as good, but the adjustments, while being positive, are not as smooth to use. I would expect planes from Bridge City or Holtey would be just as good, and also more expensive. You get what you pay for I guess.

[Derek Cohen]

Eric, thanks for the comments...do you have the "ol school" LV block plane? I am curious how the two compare in terms of performance. I would suspect the original LV plane is so damn good, its hard to beat it on performance?

I did this in my review. I did post this here?

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/VeritasPremiumBlockPlane.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Will Blick]

Yes Derek, you did post it before, and I read you review, and thanked you for submitting it....

I was just curious of another persons opinion.....that's all...

I sort of agree with Eric, with the right blade, proper edge, and solid body, I would think the cutting performance will be about the same...it comes down to aesthetics and ease of adjustments...

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Will

Opinions? We all have those :) Hopefully we shall see a few others (than mine).

Regards from Perth

Derek