# Well worth the price



## a1Jim

Thanks for the super review Mike.


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## kiefer

Well they look like well made planes and by your account they work as well as they look but it bothers me that they are copies and made with low cost labour which I don't think is fair but allows the dealer to make more profit margin .

Klaus


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## jbertelson

I am the wrong guy to be commenting here. I have an old Stanley #4, that I did a very rough sharpening job on this week to tackle a job that I wouldn't risk my Veritas #4 plane to do. The Stanley I bought new 35 years ago or more. I limit my hand work, so planes are not a primary issue.

I kept the old Stanley, because of an LJ saying I might need it for a job like this one, with a buried screw in the path. I have three other planes, all Veritas, received as gifts, a #4, a block plane, and a shoulder plane. Not being a heavy plane user, I only have to say that I will keep in mind this review, because I cannot indulge myself in high end stuff any more….........now retired.

So thanks Mike for the review. I remember a few reviews here on LJ's that led me to a purchase. All of them resulted in excellent purchases for the money. They are all in use today. I think my favorite is the Oshlun Dado Stack that has performed admirably for a very reasonable price. It never disappoints and I have no complaints.

It is difficult as an individual to worry about the manufacturers we might support. The arguments involved are complex beyond belief. At some point, we just adjust to the world foisted upon us. Especially, we in the retired world. With relatively fixed incomes, it is just down to survival and making do.

Mike, I think you or I could write a book on this topic, but have more fun things to do…..........(-:

Thanks again, for the review.


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## stefang

I see your point Klaus, but remember that the Lie Nielsen planes are a copy of the Stanley Bedrock planes with just a couple of small differences. I wanted good quality planes and I couldn't justify the cost of Lie Nielsen or Veritas planes. Just about everything we buy today is made in China. Importing planes from the U.S. or Canada is out of the question for me especially considering the extremely high freight costs that I would have to pay to get them to Norway. My local tool dealer has Veritas planes. Their #5 jack plane costs Nkr. 3,500 or U.S. $424 plus Freight. A price I just couldn't justify for the amount of hand planing I do. It would be nice to buy stuff made in our own countries, but the fact is that most manufacturing has been flagged out to other nations. I hope that will change.


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## stefang

*Jim* Yes, I mostly use the jointer and planer for larger jobs although I am finding that even a bit difficult these days. For small jobs the hand planes are the least work and the most accurate too. I have been using them more and more over the years. My last big job was hand planing my bench top and my assembly table top. I really don't want to do that much planing at one time again. I have gained new respect for my Stanley planes after watching several Paul Sellers videos on the subject and I often reach for them first to benefit from their lower weight.


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## Kentuk55

Thnx for your review Mike


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## doubleDD

Mike, I have 6 Stanley planes I inherited from my dad. In the past 10 years I picked up 3 very old non stanley planes at garage sales. Now where as the stanleys are know to be proven, the 2 dunlaps and the miller falls are my go to planes. With the help of LJ's getting them tuned, I agree with you that other planes can be just as effected as Stanleys. I am not familar with Quangsheng brand but it sounds like in your review you are happy and they work well. I'm not a big hand plane guy and do love my Stanleys a lot, but for the amount of work I do with them, anyone I own will do the job. 
Thanks for the review, it was interesting.


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## jbertelson

I agree with the weight issue, the Stanley is much lighter than the Veritas. One of these idle days, I will have to tune up that old Stanley and make it into a proper plane again. But it did the job I required of it the other day…........and I didn't hit the screw….........(-:


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## stefang

*Dave* I do think that a well tuned older Stanley Bailey type plane like Dunlap and Miller Falls is probably just as nice to use as Lie Nielsen or other high priced planes. It seems nowadays that a lot of folks put much emphasis on getting beautiful planes that are ready to go right out of the box, and that's ok, but with a relatively small effort tuning an old plane together with proper sharpening and adjustment they can get pretty much the same performance if not the bling appearance.

*Jim* Good way to go. I found and old Kunz smoother, Stanley Bailey type, at my local thrift store and I'm derusting it and tuning it up. I'll post a little blog on the process when I'm finished with it (I want to make sure it works well first). I'm doing a little on it every day and it's nearly finished so it should be ready in a couple more days. Although I've heard some disparaging words about kunz, I think/hope this old plane is going to be a good performer.


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## jim65

I have a shoulder plane from Dictum, its great. They sell very good quality and a good price - at least as European pricing goes - everything is more expensive here. Good tools and good support, I think if you bought if from them, then the quality would be fine. In the end, it's wood, not a formula one engine and the price of some of the high end planes is really absurd. Thanks for the review!


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## stefang

Interesting *Jim*. I also have a Kunz copy of the Stanley #80 scraper plane I bought from Dictum and a host of other things from them too and I agree that their quality and prices are generally pretty good. Great for those of us living on the other side of the pond.


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## CharlesA

I may be wrong, but I thought that Woodriver planes were Quangsheng planes.


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## TheFridge

Pretty sure they're pumping them all out from the same factory.

Sold through dictum there and woodriver here maybe?


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## ShaneA

I am pretty sure…Quansheng and Woodriver are one and same. Good midpriced alternative.


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## CyberDyneSystems

Yes, these are the same plane as WoodRiver. Woodcraft is the US distributor.

I have three "Woodriver" planes now alongside an array of Stanley's that are mostly much older than I am, and find them to be excellent tools. Heavy! If your used to a Bailey, you will be a bit taken aback


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## stefang

Yes, I assumed the Wood River planes were Quangsheng, but I wasn't sure as I have only seen them on the net. The Dictum version has different shaped knobs and are in beech instead of the darker ones on the WR versions.


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## mafe

;-)


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## Holt

I have a little problem with the argument about "copying" the LN planes being bad. If they were copying Veritas planes, I could see the argument. But aren't most LN planes based on older stanley's? It's like the whole Windows versus Mac, they both ripped off Xerox…

I can see saying it's a shame that LN helped create the market and now "lesser" companies are trying to cash in on the momentum, but that's life in the big city.

All that said, I'd still buy LN (and will when i can afford it) or Veritas just to support North American industry and innovation.

I did buy the Woodriver #1 mostly because I never thought anyone else would ever make one and an original stanley was out of the questions…Then LN made one, oh well…


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