My grandpa's old wooden hand plane from the 50s vs. that plastic handled one I got at the big box store last year

The old one took me an hour to sharpen and set up right, but it sliced through some oak like butter and left a finish I didn't even need to sand, while the new one chattered and left gouges no matter how tight I cranked the adjustment knob - has anyone else noticed how much better the older tools actually work once you learn them?

2 comments

2 Comments

anthony_fox9021h ago

I used to be all about buying new tools because I figured old stuff was just junk. But then my buddy let me try his granddad's 1950s Stanley plane on a maple board and it was night and day. That old plane took some elbow grease to dial in, but it cut clean without any chatter. My plastic one from the hardware store is honestly just frustrating to use now. This post really flipped my thinking on old vs new tools.

jade2216h ago

Wait, hold on. You said his granddad's plane from the 1950s? That thing is old enough to be his dad's dad, not just some old tool. I'm sitting here trying to wrap my head around a tool that's been around longer than most people I know still working like that. It's wild to think something that's essentially a museum piece in some places can still outwork the stuff we buy new at the hardware store. Makes you wonder what other treasures people are just keeping in their basements.