Stanley-Bailey #4

If it’s brand new why did it need a new iron?

-- Improvise.... Adapt...... Overcome!

I looked at the plane and yes it is new. He is including the other blade,he said “Ijust felt like putting
it on sense i had it”. Looking at the plane i could’nt find one single nick or scrach.

Yes… but not because it’s new, but because it will
get you going in the right direction with not much
hassle.

The UK made Bailey’s have slightly thicker castings
than US ones and I think they weigh a little more.
I have one, so I should check sometime.

Mass in a smoother is a good thing.

The Hock blade worth something too. I had some
and I found them hard to sharpen, but they do
hold an edge for awhile. The stiffness of the Hock
iron will help improve performance in difficult woods.

With the Hock iron, I say it’s definitely worth the $50. Without it, it’d be overpriced.

-- "hold fast to that which is good"

The Hock blade is worth about $30 by itself, so I’d say $50 is a decent deal. As was mentioned earlier, the fact that its new will save you some of the tuning/rehab work. I would still check the sole to make sure its flat. The best thing is that flattening/sharpening the blade will be a LOT easier than if you’d bought one at a garage sale. One word of caution, though; you will need to acquire some sharpening supplies.

-- Dave, Colonie, NY

The fact that the plane is “new” would be my first concern, not the newness but when was it made…..pre-war or post-war. Post-war Stanley’s either from the US or UK are not worth the effort to make them work well, If you are going to put the work into making a plane that is a pleasure to use look for a early Stanley (1933 or earlier). The early planes do not cost more but have much better “bones”. I would figure the “new” plane’s (if post-war) value as about $20 USD, so you would be paying about $30 USD for the Hock iron, an OK price on the iron but not a deal and too much for a not very good plane.