Best Overall
Stanley 12-905 No. 4 Contractor Grade Smoothing Bench Plane, 14-Inch
Stanley
A2 tool steel holds an edge significantly longer than the older Stanley carbon steel blades
- No. 5 size, 14-inch sole
- A2 tool steel blade
- Blade bedded at 45 degrees
- Adjustable frog and mouth
Pros
- A2 tool steel holds an edge significantly longer than the older Stanley carbon steel blades
- Adjustable frog lets you close the mouth for fine work and open it for hogging stock
- 14-inch sole handles both stock removal and preliminary smoothing
- Sweetheart series has better sole flatness than earlier Stanley production runs
Cons
- Blade requires sharpening before first use, out-of-the-box edge is adequate but not sharp
- Cap iron fit needs adjustment on some units, check the fit before first use
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