Low angle jack wars

I have never seen a LN in the flesh so to speak. I have a LV that I would not part with. I have the blade it came with plus a 38d. I use it for shooting and gnarly grain plus lots of other applications.
This is not to disparage LN. I have a few of their planes and they are tops.

-- Jerry

I’ve got the LN 62, but I’ve got several veritas planes as well. Both are quality tools. I like the LN because I’m basically a vintage guy and LN has a more traditional design.

If your sure you want a new low angle jack, you can’t go wrong with either.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

is the very same like asking: Mercedes or bmw?

The Lie Nielsen is a traditional tool, it looks great, and performs the task.
The Veritas is more focused on pure performance, do not sacifices anything for that purpose, made with the highest standars and materials and cosmetically still looks good.

I prefer the bmw, the veritas.

-- Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain" Frank Lloyd Wright

I have a couple models of each, slightly different in style and feel, but nothing to choose between them. I would be able to live with either.

The one thing I do like that Veritas has is the small set screws that keep your blade aligned… they use them in a lot of their planes, including the shoulder planes, and it is a very nice feature.

As was said, you won’t suffer with either. Do you like Cherry or Bubinga handles? I like them both!

-- Randy "You are judged as much by the questions you ask as the answers you give..."

Thanks for the replies. I’m stuck on the more traditional planes, and being American made is even better, but I like the idea of the blade-aligning set screws and the fact that the LV plane is heavier and longer. I know I’ll use this plane as a regular jack, but I would really like a good shooter, and more mass is always better.

-- Sam

one more thing: u can use the LV plane for 90 days, if for any reason you dont like it, just send it back to receive full refund!

-- Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain" Frank Lloyd Wright

I’ve had a Lie Nielsen low angle jack for more than
a decade. It is an impressively made tool but I seldom
use it. Mostly when I want a jack I’ll reach for one
of my old Bailey’s. The L-N does do a nice job on
plywood edges though.

The geometric issues of cambering and honing
irons play a factor in my preference. As a practical
matter I use a cambered iron in a Bailey #5 and
both shoot joints and surcace boards with the
same setup. The lower angle of a low angle
jack makes such use not as attractive to me.
I also adjust the lever and knob on a Bailey
quite often in use – and I cannot explain it
other than to say it is a tactile thing. The low
angle plane is less responsive in this aspect since
one has to loosen the cap screw knob to
move the iron well and there is no lateral
adjustment lever.

In a war, there is usually a winner and a loser. That’s not the case when it comes to these two LAJs. You can’t go wrong with either one.

-- John, BC, Canada

I’ve always want ed a LN low angle jack, but back before Christmas bought a Veritas LA jack. It’s really nice, can’t imagine the LN being any better…..but then I haven’t handled one. BTW, it’s unlikely I have more hand tool experience than, well, anyone. Kind of a newbe to hand planes over the last year or so.

-- I long for the days when Coke was a cola, and a joint was a bad place to be (Merle Haggard)

Sam, you may already know this, but for those who don’t, the low angle jack is a good shooting board plane, but if you’re going to use it for a jack and a shooter, you’ll need 2 irons, one with a camber and one without.

Personally for the price of a LN or veritas iron, I’d get a vintage #5 as a jack. Then each can be set up for the intended purpose. Its just another approach to the same problem, but I hate switching irons.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)