I have been using a standard type 9 Bailey number 4 for a while. I LOVE it. I only paid $30 for it and I have restored it and I can take beautiful shavings with it. I have added a hock 01 blade and a new breaker to it and it is a beautiful tool that does a beautiful job and I believe it will last me another 100 years. A little over a year ago, I had some money saved up and bought a LN no 3. It is also a beautiful tool. Feels different in the hand but I can get used to that. I honestly haven't used it very much. Here is where I am confused... i can sharpen it with the same method as i do my hock iron. I'm using diamond stones and finishing with a strop. I am getting the same wire burr on both blades, they are both scary shaving sharp, just takes a little longer with the A2. I am sharpening a micro bevel of 35 degrees on the LN blade. Both have a small camber and I am getting light fluffy shavings that are identical from both planes. When I hold both surfaces up to the light, I get a clear beautiful finish on both. They both seem to have a matching reflection for the most part. With the LN finish, I have to look for them, but I am seeing these curvy scratches that are bothering me. I dont like sanding and I like to be able to have a finished surface off of the plane, which I have had no problem doing with the stanley. When i use the hock, they go away and it is just reflection. When looking at both surfaces, they look the same when you look at them, but when you hold them up to get a reflection, you can see the small (very small) scratches. Is this normal? I love my stanley so much, I am planning to keep using it because it works so well, but at the same time, I feel like I'm missing something with this beautiful premium tool. Eitherway, I think I'm going to stick to my trusty Stanley number 4 for smoothing. Just curious if anyone else has noticed this? Thanks!
Eli