Hey Matthew I just received this plane yesterday. They have a reputation for doing a running change on their products without making it a new offering. They did that with the miter gauge from Harvey just kept upgrading it without announcements and the HP-8 I just received has much larger mouth opening. Maybe you had something to do with that. The number of turns is just 1 for me but it’s 2023 now. Good video I’ll check out some of your other stuff.
I just received one of these (late Feb. '23) and I agree with everything in Matthew's review. Out of the box, it actually worked passably, but the blade definitely needs honing on both sides to get the best out of it (I did it before reading the instructions telling you not to). With that done, it will produce 0.001" - 0.0015" thick shavings in pine, cherry, and black locust. The finish is so smooth that it looks polished, especially on the locust. So, despite its flaws it's capable of excellent performance. It works fine with the Veritas MK II jig, which I used along with Norton 4000 and 8000 grit water stones. The finish on the sole could definitely be better, but it's flat, so it doesn't leave marks in the wood and I probably won't bother to lap it for now. The adjustable mouth plate on mine has a 0.006" gap to the side of the plane body, which is an issue when you tighten it, as it skews and makes the mouth opening uneven. However, all you need to do is turn the knob back in the other direction until the plate is flush against the opposite side and it's fine. I'll probably shim it so I don't have to think about it. Then again, I may just set it where I want it and forget about it. The backlash in the adjuster seems to be due mostly to a loose fit between the pin on the adjuster and the hole in the blade. I could probably eliminate it by staking the edge of the hole, but I don't know if it's worth the effort. I've had an L-N 102 and a Veritas block plane for a long time, and I've refurbished several Stanley, Record, Keen Kutter and Craftsman planes, plus some wooden-body planes. I bought this as an addition to those, as it's really not a substitute for a standard block plane or an apron plane. It's a special-purpose tool that I intend to use for making some small ukulele parts and similar items that need to be a consistent thickness. I'm confident that it will work great for that purpose. With the skids removed, it should also be handy for working on other small parts.
Thanks for threat review. I bought this at 69.99, a like others have mentioned the packaging is perfect. I am new at woodworking and because of the small size, I use it as a pull plane. It works great that way, I get the full thin ribbons without the chatter.
To those interested... I just received mine and it appears they fixed the mouth size issue you pointed out (8:52). There is now plenty of space to adjust the mouth opening, I'd say nearly 1/4", even with a new blade. I also agree about the lack of good finishing of the plane's bottom... but I can easily fix that myself by polishing it on some float glass and some increasingly finer honing papers. As far as the honing angle, I think it is recommended to use their guide and I personally don't pay attention to the actual measured angle in that case since the guide achieves the desired result. The printed angle on the blade is for reference only, so you know what blade is loaded to achieve the actual cut angle. Splitting hairs IMHO, but some may find it confusing.
Thanks for this review. I very almost bought one last week when u was in Lee Valley. After seeing your review I honestly don't know how you can defend this piece of junk. I owe you one.
Since the angle of the blade is always the same, the point where the blade passes beyond the bottom surface of the plane will always be the same. It doesn't matter how short the blade becomes. the relationship between the mouth adjustment and the blade will always be the same. So the mouth adjustment will not extend the useful life of the blade as it shortens.
Absolutely! I guess I should just be more blunt in my videos instead of trying not to make a company too mad because that’s exactly what they are trying to disregard.
Nice! I thought I had seen that plane before! Cool that you were able to use that segment again. Hard to believe that they would allow the bottom to be scuffed up like that . . . especially at that price-point. Interesting information about the bevel angle. Very cool little tool! The bottom being a nail file, I literally laughed out loud.
Yeah I was a bit surprised too but I’m still pretty impressed with the little guy. An old trick is to put wax on the bottom of the plane and it will just about fly out of your hand it goes so smooth.
Excellent review - thanks. I had the same concern regarding the instruction manual stating that the back should not be lapped. They need to fix the manual pronto! What do you think about polishing the sole of the plane?
Thank you! I think it would only stay polished for so long with it being aluminum before looking how it was before you polished it. My guess is that they leave the sole rough like that so you can’t tell when you cause scratches because it will happen often.
Very honest video , would you consider contacting Lie Nelson to show there tool against the other brands? As a kicker? Pick up a old Stanley low angle block plane. Spend some time refurbishing with a thicker blade ( Hock) ? Bob
Thank you for this review! Even at $80, having an unfinished sole and that much lash in the blade advancement isn't premium. The strange explanation regarding the cutting iron angles given by customer service is annoying. How hard is it to state conclusively on the web site (and in the product documentation) what the primary and secondary grinds are, and how adding it to the bed angle equals the claimed cutting angle? So when it comes down to it, what you're really buying is the adjustable depth guides on either side. I admit, they are interesting, and given a real need for small parts planing, could be useful. For me though, not really. You give them way too much credit at 4 starts in my opinion. I'll take my business to Lie Nielsen or Veritas.
Aluminum in woodworking is for toys & not tools. Don't worry about the throat adjustment though, any serious user will have to file so many nicks from the leading edge of the aluminum sole that it'll cease to exist by the time you actually need it.
@@matthewvick4930 The funny thing is that I received an offer from BCT the other day to purchase a HP-8 for $69 & I finagled it into a discount on a LN 101. Money much better spent.
Other than the skids I don"t see any advantage over the Lie Nielsen #102 at $125. Yes, the price is much lower but so is the quality. Resale value of Lie Nielsen can't be beat.
@@matthewvick4930 what do you use the skies for. Seems a bit limited width wise. I have been looking at the plane for some time but can’t justify it vs the LN or Veritas. One of those two and a jig for planing would seem much more useful.
@@Putttn if you have a ton of small strips that all need to be the same thickness it’s nice but as you said with a jig you could do basically the same. The only reason I got it was because I’ve always wanted a bridge city plane and after seeing the lack of consideration to their tools I was a bit let down when I got it
@@matthewvick4930 I have a couple of their tools including the Jointmaker Pro. I bought their universal gauge and while it is really nicely made it is hard to use. The cursor on the gauge is barely visible and you really aren’t sure if you are on the angle on the scale or off a bit. I’m trying to get it to give me a exact 45 degree angle and it can’t do it because their is no exact “stop”. I emailed them about it and told them to use a darker line so it could be seen. They said they’d think about it.
@@Putttn I’ve got the universal gauge too and you are right it is hard to see the lines. It is a very nice tool though. I think their layout tools are really good if you can catch them on sale.
It seems the quality of these tools has declined greatly since John Economacki sold to Harvey Industries. But perhaps the pricing will give a wider range of users access to these unique tools. Thanks for the info presented.
I just received an HP-8 and I'm very impressed with the quality for a plane that cost under $70 (black Friday sale - more than half off). Fit and finish is perfect and the blade was razor sharp out of the box. I've been looking for a good trim plane and this one does not disappoint.
Thanks for the review. Interesting tool. Focus on the video not too good though. Also, it would’ve been great to see it in action by planing that strip of wood a little bit. Cheers. Mike.
Thank you for the comment! I am hoping to get a real video camera finally in the next couple of weeks because I agree my focus isn’t great and the camera I have was definitely not made for what I’m doing. As far as the use I will definitely start using them more for future videos thanks!
Thanks for this review. I'm on the fence with this one. It's currently on sale at BCT for $89 and it looks useful as a chamfer plane (and other special uses) but this video has me pausing to think it over. The fact that the blade and sole were not mirror polished flat kinda disappoints my expectations. An aluminum sole with ridges seems unacceptable considering how simple it would be to get a mirror polished flat product out the door. Also because the blade is so short, getting my honing guide to work on this is a gamble. I'm not keen on buying the BCT honing guide or buying too many more gadgets to dial this plane in. Not sure its worth it.. gonna have to think it over for a bit.
If you are on the fence but can afford a lie Nielsen or veritas apron plane I would definitely choose them over this one. They fit in the hand so much more comfortable and the plane is ready to use out of the box and they both come with customer service that is outstanding. Plus your sharpening setup will probably work with LN or Veritas blades.
@@matthewvick4930 I both of the LN block planes, the 60-1/2 and the 102.. these are probably the most heavily used and most ergonomic planes I own.. but they don't have the skid gizmos (let's face it.. this is a truly unique innovation) which would be great for chamfers and thickness plane small stock like edge banding or something. The sharpening issue is the sticking point. 100% agree with your comment!
Honestly it’s a hard one because even with its quarks this little guy can do so much especially if you can get it for $70. But having said that...I still find myself grabbing the apron plane 9/10. If you value the adjustable feet and feel you will actually use that feature, then the BCT mini plane is what I recommend. BUT if you have no use for that then the veritas feels better and is of higher quality for a general use go to block plane. I hope that helps!
Hey Mathew nice review. I just got my second one, the first one being included in the Chopsticks kit. This thought I am having issue with. It cuts deeper on one side of the blade and I cant seem to adjust it any. Any ideas?!
Thank you for the comment! If it’s like mine the blade sits pretty tight in the body so tapping it to the side doesn’t really work. I’d check if the blade edge was sharpened square to the sides of the blade and then check to see it the walls of the plane are square to the mouth of the plane. If everything is how it is supposed to be then the only thing I can think of is to sharpen the blade at a slight angle. The body of the plane may have been milled slightly off so since there’s no lateral adjustment it would throw the blade off making it cut deeper on one slide. I hope that helps!
@@matthewvick4930 thanks for the reply and info. I tried most of what you advised. I am suspecting that the body of the plan where the iron sits is not milled parallel to the sole. If so and as you have noted that there is no lateral adjustment, this one will be really hard to setup correctly. I have sent an email to the guys over at Bridge City and waiting for the reply. Keep up the nice work 👍🏼
Hey Mat, I thought I let you know, BridgeCity decided to send me a new plane. Its on its way. Although they did not comment on the problem, I suspect that the inner part of the plane where the blade sits was not milled even nor deep enough. Thats why it was not cutting even and the blade was sitting too far in the throat almost touching the adjustable plate.
that throat response doesnt make any sense. closing the throat doesnt extend the blade length. you can only protrude it so much...this gave me a bad taste.
Thank you for saying that lol it’s crazy how no matter where you are, gimmick tastes the same if you know what I mean. They also said the bottom should be smooth and if not they will send me a new one but conveniently the video that I sent them the audio didn’t work on their computer... so I sent them a link to this video and no response...
@@matthewvick4930 im steering clear of them from this vid alone. the prices as well, but the tools look great, so I may have been tempted, but after hearing this, id never deal with them. Thanks for helping me dodge that bullet.
@@justinsane332 I’m so glad I could help! If you want a really good premium plane I will always recommend veritas and Lie Nielsen. I tend to lean towards veritas because they tend to be a little cheaper and I like the additional features they offer but you won’t go wrong with either one!
@@matthewvick4930 indeed. Veritas are very nice, i own two, and i own a few specialty nuelsons. I must say that neilsons service cannot be beat, however. I have yet to need to deal with Veritas service yet, so Im hoping they are as good. its something most dont take into account when reviewing premium anes. like yes, they are expensive when you buy because they are pretty much ready to go, but you also pay for the service that comes with the tool, and the lifeling garauntee if anything happens to it.
Oh dear!! A new kind of plane for people with more money than sense, but if you make it in pretty colours someone will buy them and think they need them. This really is 'trying to reinvent the wheel' The adjustment mechanism is terrible with so much backlash that it just does not make any sense. The little pad on the blade for the clamping screw really should be captive to the screw cos theres going to be lots of them disappearing into the sawdust on the workshop floor. Why make it magnetic when you can just attach it to the screw with a simple ball joint. The 'adjustable' mouth is a joke and on quite a few does not even fit perfectly into the sole of the plane ( like yours ) wait till those gaps start filling up with resin all dust. The thicknessing skids are a joke as are only any good if you have a master gauge or have already produced a sample thickness piece to use for setting. The fact that you have potential variation on all four corner fixings mean it would be impossible to set up to the advertised 0.001" that Bridge City state. A stupid point to state even if working in Cocobolo or ebony as wood moves with the climate. Those skids should be joined together, preferably machined from one piece which bridges the plane, then you would at least have a chance of setting both sides perfectly parallel to each other. Then you have the feel of the plane in your hand which is no where near as comfortable as my 50 year old Stanley 60 1/2. There's no palm rest so you end up gripping the sides but again there is no machined rest for your fingers. Last of all the price is just plain ridiculous which is clearly why you can find them with 46% discount. I would not even pay that price when the planes I have been using for 55 years are far superior but can be picked up on Ebay or Craigs list for £40 and with a small amount of restoration will out perform that pretty little piece of aluminium. Don't even get me started on the HP9v2 and the HP12 - Bridge City must be deluded. Best thing any woodworker can do is buy something that has stood the test of time and will still last another hundred years and if sharpened properly will do the job perfectly and you can pass them on to your children and grandchildren. Just imagine what will happen to those planes if you accidentally knock them off the bench. They will never last as long as Stanley or Record.
Does'nt look like a comfortable planer to use. And whats the point of those side rails? To keep the piece from slideing under you? If so, you still need to take an extra shaveing, cause the blade does'nt extent all the way to those rails, so there will be a gap that wont be planed if the piece moves. The other point might be if your planeing the side of a board, too keep the plane from moveing of and you accidently dropping it. But as your skill picks up you wont drop your plane, and you wont want to put those fences up and down to change between flat and sides og a board. Or is the point to shave only very narrow boards to the same thickness?
Thank you for the comment! Yes the whole point of the rails is for thicknessing a lot pieces smaller than the blade at one time. As for dropping the plane, I’m not sure what you mean by that? I’ve never dropped a plane before. If you are using a plane in a correct manner you should never run the risk. A good sharp tool used correctly is a tool that is easily controlled.
It seems to me that this company is selling all their planes for like 60% off. Because they are being built in China. And people are getting horrible planes from them. $1,300 for a plane. And the sole can be scratched if you rub it on a board. It blew my mind that a hand plane from the home depot had a smoother sole than a bridge city plane!!!!
When a company has a list price but constantly has it marked down I guess it should be a red flag because that’s typically a sales tactic for gimmicks lol they make you want to think it’s a premium plane but... it’s just ok
The bottom surface isn’t a mistake - they consciously made a design decision to use the cheapest possible milling technique which leaves that brushed surface. You may have seen that surface on similar tools at Harbor Freight. It is indeed “flat” as they claim but not smooth as it should be. And it’s not irrelevant because those grooves can translate over to your workpiece and leave an ugly finish. I guess Bridge City Tools is just a business like any other, profit above all else
