Bridge City Tools CT-17 Double Angle Block Plane!

For $859 I can buy several planes with $$ left over! And, for $999 it includes a walnut case!

-- Tom, New London, NH

This plane is actually a 2 in 1 plane. It’s got a double sided plane. One for regular tasks and one to turn it into a low angle block plane.

innovative – sure,
nice design – I think so (personal taste – can’t argue)

it’s a nice gimmick, but really no matter how you’ll look at it- there’s no real benefit to it.

to switch from normal angle to low angle – it would be faster for Joe-WW to just have 2 block planes, regular, and low angle – both already setup to take clean cuts as opposed to having to fiddle with the tool everytime you want to switch angle, and having to recalibrate the blade adjustments.

so if not for reducing overhead and speed of switching between application – the other factor would have to be cost reduction right? you wouldn’t want to have 2 block planes if you could only have 1 to reduce expenses… but then again, this one costs like 4 LV block planes.. which again doesn’t provide any real benefit.

And so- yet another beautiful tool from BCT which is not aimed at the mass market, nor your average Joe-woodworker. they sure do make unique stuff though.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

To me it looks like something that should be on the space shuttle. A nice blade in a block of wood will do the same job. It’s impressive machine work for sure but I just can’t see myself using it, it’s a bit gimmicky.

-- http://djofurnituremaker.wordpress.com/ 木材場

Bridge City offers a lot of very interesting and very expensive tools. I’ve never purchased one and I doubt that I ever will. While the tools are interesting, I cannot justify them on a value per dollar spent basis.

They are a little like Festool in that they sell expensive products, however, I think Festool’s does much better on the value per dollar spent basis. I own some Festools and, with respect to some of their tools, I think it is money well spent.

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.

There is a definitive cool factor to it. It looks like an awesome plane. back to my crystal ball for the lucky 6 numbers this Friday.

-- Motivation alone is not enough. If you have an idiot and you motivate him, now you have a motivated idiot.

Are you sure it’s intended to be used? It looks like expensive mantle jewelry to me. I remember years ago my partner’s wife gave him a CT-6 drill when it was the “Commemorative Tool,” the crank was flimsy metal that flexed all over and bent when he tired to use the drill. Maybe the Franklin Mint paradigm works for others but I’d prefer something where the design is driven by more than gimmicks and exotic aesthetics.