The clerk at my local Woodcraft says they will be carrying Clifton planes soon. FWIW
The clerk at my local Woodcraft says they will be carrying Clifton planes soon. FWIW
Have three Clifton’s, a pleasure to use. Yes they are heavy, but that helps through the cut. The blades are easy to sharpen and the chip breaker to blade is engineering perfection. My only gripe was the brass screws on the front knob was too domed and dug into my hand. I ground them down, no further issues. Yes I have LV BU planes but rarely use them.
Yes you can produce the same shavings with an old Bailey plane when tuned properly.
You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!
I have a #3 Clifton-one of favorite. About 15 years old now-superb iron.
If the thunder don't get you, the lightning will.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Are the Clifton planes made by the same company in the same way, of the same quality as they were in ‘09? I do not know, but it seems a fair question. Pretty sure the LN’s are. I can’t criticize Clifton as I’ve never owned or worked with one. I don’t have a 4.5, but I do have a 4 LN in silicone bronze and it is fabulous. I prefer the bronze bodies where available.
I bought a No. 5 last year and I really enjoy it. I just sharped the iron and the sole was spot on so I didn’t touch it. Very high quality tool.
“It's more the Indian than the arrow, but really nice arrows do help.” - Stuart Tierney
I have the LV bevel up smoother and an old Stanley #4 which I have fettled and installed a Hock Blade. I use them both for smoothing. The LV for larger pieces and the #4 Stanley for smaller pieces. Both seem to work equally well in most cases. If the wood if problematical I use the LV because I have additional high angle blades available. I have never used either the LN or the Clifton smoother.
I think LN is now making a 4 1/2 in bronze. However, it’s selling for $750 which is a bit steep. That price is a bit too high for me.
Living in southeast Florida EVERYTHING rusts except my LN #4 bronze, which I love. Right now I’m looking at selling my Stanley #4 1/2, 5 1/2 and 6 (all with Hock blades and CB’s) and getting a LN 5 1/2. In my experience the combination of heft and width make the the 5 1/2 a perfect plane for everything. My experience with LN has been fabulous. Product and aftermarket care, they are the best.