So, I bought a skewed block plane from eBay and while superficially beautiful, I could not lower the adjustment screw, the thread was bent or stripped. Putting aside the back and forth I had with the eBay seller who claimed it was perfect, I just gave up and sent it back to Lie Neilsen. Charge me what you want, its a gorgeous plane, perfect for end grain, and it's unavailable. So bill me.
To my surprise, the company fixed it without charge. This company is exceptional.