Very Nice - Very Small Bench Plane

I picked up this Lie-Nielsen #1 bench plane several weeks ago at Woodcraft on sale, intrigued by it’s small size and quality. It is the first Lie-Nielsen plane I own (though I have a number of Veritas) and as you would expect from either of these brands it is extremely well made. With it’s brass body and maple handles it is almost too nice to use as a tool – it looks that nice.

It is based on the famous Stanley No. 1, 5½” (14cm) long with a 1-3/16” (3cm) x .110” (2.79mm) thick blade. After getting it I realized why Stanley discontinued it – it is so small that unless you have VERY small hands you will find it difficult to hold comfortably and control. There is very limited space between the rear tote and the adjuster knob. As you would expect it planes well, but this version is so small it has no blade angle adjustment – just the blade & chip breaker held down on the bed by the cap lever. It really does not really need one as you can simply push the top end of the blade from side to side to adjust.

So it’s a neat, very well made plane that works better for show than to use for a lot of woodworking – unless (again) you have those tiny hands. For small planing jobs I find my Veritas Apron plane to cut just as well, if not better, and it’s much more comfortable to hold and control.

Still – this is a unique plane to show off as it’s kind of rare, and I really appreciate it’s build quality.

-- Rick - OC, CA