Hi everyone I'm looking to round out my hand planes with a Jointer plane. I currently have a wood river smother and an old bedrock 605 jack from around 1908 that I just got and really love. I want to have a really nice jointer and don't feel like trying to flatten ~2ft of cast iron plus i want the extra wait of the newer castings. im thinking of the lie-nielson or Clifton. i love the look of both and the reputation of LN make me want to go with them but i kind of like the looks of the clifton and I've heard good things about their blades and kind of like the two part chip breaker. i wish they made a #8. does anyone have experience recently with these planes because i have heard some bad things about cliftons quality control.
I'm not a fan of low angle planes for everything for
a few reasons, but I have a low angle jointer and
since a jointer iron can be honed square without
cambering it's sort of a set and forget plane. The
ease of adjusting the mouth is a convenience too.
When ever I read a Schwarz review that include Clifton, the Cliftons seem to hit or miss on their quality. They appear to need more frettling out of the box than Lie Nielson or Lee Valley. Take a look at Chris Schwarz's book on planes.
I guess the first thing is to tell you that the difference between a 7 and a 8 is only 2 inches in length, a slightly wider blade and more weight. I have both and except for the ego factor of having a 8, I reach for my 7 much more often.
lugging that 8 around gets you tired a bit quicker and if I am doing a fair amount of wood, the 7 is just plain easier to use. Especially jointing. In actual use for me, I do mostly 4/4 wood and some 8/4 wood and both do just fine on the wood. Again, the 7 is just easier to lug around. Personally, I would get a 7 just for the ease of use over the 8.
Also, in my case, 7's are much easier to find and much cheaper in the vintage Stanleys than 8s. But since you are buying new, that part doesn't matter. Hopefully you can try a 7 or 8 prior to buying. BTW, Woodriver now makes a 7 and if you are within driving distance to a woodcraft, I think it would behoove you to take a look. Which ever you get, they are actually fun to use and require a different technique to a 4 or 5 because you are dealing with the edge of a board and not the face.
Thanks guys for the responses. First I would like to explain why the bu jointers are not in the running. A BU to me dos not feel the same in the hand and I like the way my standard angle planes feel. The only reason I would consider one is because of the fence that helps keep 90 but I'm not hugely worried about learning that skill.
I would really like to hear from someone who owns or did own the Clifton. I have handled the LN and know that I like it but I want to hear from someone who has used the Clifton. I can't seem to find any of the poor reviews just forms with people talking about the poor reviews.
I used the Clifton #7 at a school, so I cannot speak to out of box condition. It is quite a nice plane, excellent fit and finish. But I would really recommend holding one in your hands. I don't know what the actual weight is, but a Clifton #7 is heavier than a L-N #8, noticeably so. That can be an advantage, it stays in the cut nicely, however not everyone will appreciate the extra lifting.
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