Lie-Nielsen - Low Angle Adjustable Mouth Block Plane (Rating: 5)

This plane is my first foray into the world of Lie-Nielsen. WOW! I am impressed; we get so very used to mediocre products that when we get our hands on products with this level of craftsmanship it simply blows you away. Don't get me wrong, I love my old planes. However, I hated using the block planes I had picked up here and there. They were just too difficult to use accurately.

This plane was ready to go straight out of the box. The sole is, as far as I can tell, perfectly flat and the sides are dead-on 90 degrees to the sole. The blade was sharp and flat were it needed to be. I honed it a little on my 8000 grit water stone and it was ready to fly. The adjustment of the mouth and the blade is very smooth and trouble free and it's comfortable to hold as well.

I can honestly say that this is one of the most often used tools in my shop. If I need another plane I will definitely look to Lie-Nielsen again.

Photo from the Woodcraft Website