I’m going to restate this as it seems to have been missed by a few people in the beginning:
I’m going to throw out the disclaimer that this was by no means a 100% exhaustive test. We did not do things like study edge retention, sharpening, and haven’t done any prolonged use/testing of the Veritas plane. It was largely just a comparison of the two on a visual, mechanical, and basic general use level. We only had the one standard Veritas iron, and spent about 4 hours messing around with the two planes. We didn’t try every single operation, or every single iron, so take that for what it’s worth.
Alright, now the opinion part of things… What are my thoughts on the new Veritas Combination Plane? In short, I like it and I wouldn’t mind owning one.
The longer version follows.
All of the adjustment knobs (I believe there are 17 solid brass knobs on this thing), for the most part were a lot less fiddly than the #45. That’s not to say that you don’t sneak up on the right cutting depth by loosening the iron, moving the depth adjuster, tightening the iron, try again and get no shaving, then repeat, and repeat, and repeat…That’s just sort of how the process goes in general.
What I mean is things like the micro adjustment on the fence. It’s smooth, and I think it works better. With the Veritas there are two knurled knobs on both of the rods that hold the wooden fence on instead of just the one on the Stanley. The micro adjustment knob is then captured by some retention clips on both sides of the fence, so the knob doesn’t move, only threads into and out of the wooden fence portion. This mechanism was smoother than the double-threaded screw that the Stanley uses. It also felt more secure when tightened back down as well, due to the thumb screw on both rods rather than just the front one.
There was almost no backlash on the depth adjustment for the Veritas, as one would expect from a brand new tool. I’m used to the #45 and how much backlash there is (movement in the adjuster before that actually translates into cutter movement), so kept over-shooting my spot on the Veritas. This is much like with 100+ year old Stanley bench planes vs a Lie Nielsen bench plane depth adjustment wheel too. It happens with age, so I would assume after 100 years the Veritas would likely have the same problem 🙂
I also feel the lever cap with a screw for holding the iron in place is also nicer on the Veritas than the wing nut and clamp on the #45. It seems to be a little easier to use, and gets a good hold on the iron.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like the tote and not being able to extend my pointer finger like I do with the #45, but I got used to that quickly, and I never felt like I needed that for the extra feel and control. It seemed to just work with far less subconscious input.
I never found myself wishing I had a knob on the fence either. I never use the one on the #45, and didn’t miss it on the Veritas either.
Now, the price… Yeah, the Veritas caries a hefty price tag. At the moment (Sept 10 2017), the plane is $400 USD ($399), and you only get one iron (1/4″ groove). All in, including plane, all the irons, and the box and I think you’re looking at somewhere between $1,000 and $1,100, which is an awful lot of money. If you’re thrifty, diligent, and lucky you can get into a #45 for FAR less than $1,000. A pristine example of a #45, though, will find you closer in the $200-$400 neighborhood with a full set of irons and box.
Yes, it’s a lot of money but I do think it’s worth the asking price, at least to me. Everything is a little tighter, adjusts a little smoother, and I found it to be comfortable and easy to use.
If you have a Stanley #45 and you’re happy with it, keep it. I’m not 100% sure I would say it’s worth upgrading if you’ve already got a #45 that you’ve figured out and gotten good at using.
If you’ve got no combination plane, and you want one but are on the fence between trying to find an old #45 or the new Veritas, I don’t think you’d go wrong with either. There are tradeoffs both ways, naturally.
In my mind, the advantages of the #45 are that you can get into one including irons for less money than the Veritas which only comes with one iron. If you’re into vintage hand tools, the #45 will also satisfy that itch too ;-).
The advantages of the Veritas are that it’s ready to go as soon as you get it. You don’t have to worry about buying a plane off eBay and hoping the seller represented it correctly, or that all the pieces are there and working. You won’t have to clean any rust off of it before you put it to use, and everything adjusts smoothly and accurately. The blade alignment knob and small blade support knobs are both nice additions to what the #45 was as well, and though they seem minor, I would gladly pay more for a #45 to have them.
If you want something that just works no hassle and don’t mind dropping some pennies, then the Veritas is definitely the way to go. If you want, or have, to save some of those pennies then you’ll probably be happy with a #45 in your arsenal. They both work, and they both work well, but I’d have to admit that I do think the Veritas works a little better when all things are considered. It’s hard to beat the set up/adjustment times, accuracy in those adjustments, and ease of use that come with the Veritas.
Will I be buying one? Not right now, but I haven’t ruled out buying one down the road. It is a very nice plane.
If you’ve made it this far, holy crap I’m sorry!
Leave a Reply