Hi Rex... here's a cabinet maker from Switzerland. As many people know, the price (and so the salary) level in Switzerland is extremely high. One blade with two sharp edges is about 5 US$. A certified cabinet maker or carpenter earns about 35 US$ per hour and a customer pays about 100-130 US$ per hour per worker on a job site or in the workshop. So for 2.5 US$ per "sharpening" ther are only 1.5 minutes to get a perfect edge... includig dis- and reassamble the plane... not possible i think... so... in Switzerland you can find Rali planes in about every professionel workshop... and the carbide blades are allso grate for aluminum, high pressure laminates and all kind of abrassive fireproof boards...
This is true even outside of Swizerland to a lesser degree, certainly outside a workshop where your stones are ready to go. Being able to run it across things like insulation is indeed great. I'm quite upset though by how bad that plane came- not flat at all. You might as well use a chisel in a block of wood. Not swiss quality, that's what I expect from a diy shop's own brand. As far as tool fiddling, hot swap blades is great- but if you could swap out regular blades you can still sharpen them back home, when you sharpen your chisels anyway. The disposable on its own doesn't add as big a benefit as being able to swap them. If you see say a Japanese box plane being swapped out, you can easily do it quicker than this tool and sharpen many at once. They have their limitations- but set up a jig and a whole batch of blades can be sharpened in 10 minutes. These blades *could* cost you 50c a sharpening. At least until you have disposable chisels and you can forgo sharpening completely it just isn't that great. Compared to the stanley, yes, faster, but they're awkward and slow in the first place. It could've easily been straight up better than a mere trade off. Again, it really comes down to me 'but I have to sharpen my chisels anyway' The carbide blades do make it worth it seperately no debate there- and i'd rather have one tool, so I agree with your choice, but I still feel you're paying for the benefit. Another consumable to stock and carry is a burden on its own.
How an you even do woodworking in Europe? All trees have been cut down and replaced by fast growing pine long ago. Oh.. it was only done in the Russia-controlled Eastern Europe. Thanks, Russia for destroying environment for millions!
@@mandowarrior123 It is impossible to hand sharpen a blade with a stone and have that blade automatically set square in the body. Also RALI's blades come in 2 versions, the carbide one that lasts almost forever and is good enough for a professional worker that uses power tools 95% of the time or even more, the other one, suitable for more refined works, is not made with regular steel, but with high speed steel. And HSS remains sharpen a very long time even if not as long as carbide ones. As Konrad told time is money, all the time you spare from not having to sharpen is time that you can spend producing, I had used a couple of those planes when I worked professionally as a carpenter and are great planes, planes that are built for the professional woodworkers needs, but have a place also in some hobby workers workshops as there are amateur woodworkers that use mainly power tools and lack the skill needed to properly sharpen, set and maintain a traditional plane. I love using hand planes and I know how to sharpen, set and use them so I don't own a RALI plane for my little hobby workshop but if I should turn back to professional woodworking I really think that I would buy one. And by the way my professional grade power sander is used very little these days as I prefer to use a hand plane that is faster, does not produce dust and gives a better surface compared to the one left by the sand paper, I don't think that I could have achived that with a RALI and I mention it here not to brag, but to give you a perspective about how much I love and try to master hand planes, still i repeat, RALI planes are great, even if maybe are not the perfect planes for you and me.
Well, you forgot the markup on the blade price.. -if the cost is 35$ for a employee and the price is 130$, then the markup is around 3-4x. So the blade is closer to 20$ in your equation, more or less. Still only gives you 6 minutes, but doable.
depends entirely on how long those blades last, unless grossly miss handled, the tungsten carbide blades should last a hobbyist for a very long time and unlike printer cartridges, these blades won't go bad if you don't use them. another advantage i see is that high carbon steel needs maintenance or it'll rust, if you're someone who's in the shop only throughout the winter months, because you'd rather be out fishing during summer, having tools that you can just not look at for eight months without anything going wrong, can make a difference. a third factor is motivation, this might just be a me thing, but when motivation gets me and i want to do stuff, i NEED to be able to go in and start ASAP, if i end up discovering that i need to sharpen a tool first before i can start or god forbid look for a tool that my dad or someone left not where it was supposed to be, I'm instantly tempted to say "fuck it!" grab a beer and call it for the day.
@@windhelmguard5295I would hope they last a really long time, considering the tungsten carbide blade is as expensive as a Hock iron that will last 2 or 3 lifetimes
@@PistonHonda87 I do, it costs cents because its shape is a universal standart and various companies produce them. I don't see many companies making those blades, and I don't see it changing in the foreseeable future.
I'm in Germany, I agree totally with you. I've used the Rali planes many times in the last 25 years and they are perfect on site, chipboard, MDF, OSB, no problem, hit a nail, not a problem just change the blade. They are made for site work, but I don't like the one use blades for fine work...
I’m a contractor and I have always enjoyed woodworking to relax and when I really need to make something perfect I whip out the planes and after 15 years my old jobsite Stanley’s are like a secret weapon. And I have all sorts of blades for my 4s and 5’s. They do things my power planers and belt sanders could never do. But I did make the mistake of bringing a block plane on the jobsite and it wasn’t 20 minutes before someone picked it up and ran it into a piece of wood with nails in it. I keep my good planes at home. My users and stones stay in the truck. But unfortunately I fear planes will never earn a spot on the jobsite because of the skill and experience required to use and maintain them. Love your work Rex
I hear you. But ain't it crazy the point you just made? Planes will not make it in a professional setting Because of the skill they require!? It's a really upsidedown society where the professionals cannot use the tools of the home gamers, because they lack the skill.
I live about an hour's drive from the Rali factory! With the light weight of the plane, something to bear in mind is that they're replacing continental horned wooden planes that are also light. Also, the original Rali plane in the continental format is cheaper than the Stanley shaped model. Here in Switzerlandthey've become the new standard. As you said, they're clever and reasonably priced for what they do. In a way they're like Swiss army knives: simple, clever, functional and efficient. I don't like them. I find it hard to adjust exactly right, and I find that I can get my edges just as sharp if not sharper than their blades. I prefer the feel on my wooden planes and of my Stanley style planes (but people said the same thing about Stanley planes when they first appeared...). It's a great product for a world that no longer knows how to sharpen, but it's not for me. They also make chisels with disposable blades! Let us know what you think of THEM!
You could save a lot money as a hobbyist with a Rali. By the time you get done spending $400 on Shapton stones and the time wasted on sharpening you could just replace the blade. I for one get damn tired of having to sharpen blades and I have a planer and a jointer that does a majority of my work. I think I will give them a try.
I bought three Rali planes and love them. I buy planes to use, not to restore, sharpen, or tune them. Also there are no stones to buy, no diamond plates, no Scary Sharp system, no CBN wheels, nothing. I'm not a hand tools guy and don't give a flip about tradition. I want to get on with a job, not have to stop to sharpen anything. Even my machines have helical cutters.
You’re right to point out that it’s not as simple as “it’s wrong that the blades are disposable”. For planes that can be sharpened, there are a lot of other consumables you have to use and that means more consumption. I could argue that the Rali system reduces consumption… and guess what- the baldes are metal, so into the recycling bin. Ooh yes and the price of all that quality sharpening gear…!
the sharpening gear: a two sided stone 400 1000 and your hands, a single piece of leather and a smidge of polishing wax. nets at about 25 dollars in my country.
@@theterribleanimator1793Yea, And you are also probably going to want to them anyway to sharpen other stuff. And if you want to go cheap you can just use sand paper.
I'm a professional woodworker and I bought the Systainer RALI case with all the Evolution N range. These tools save me a lot of time both in the workshop and on building sites. The blades last a very long time and are compatible with all my planers. I haven't had any problems with the sole, and they're perfectly flat. You must have had a problem when transporting them, but all you have to do is unscrew the screws on the sides and tap the front and back to make the sole of the plane perfectly flat again. These tools are always ready for use, which is a great comfort when it comes to simple adjustments. Bravo RALI and Swiss quality! Thanks Rex for your video.
@@justinsane332yes the mouth is adjustable meaning that the back can move back and forth. Metal being what it is, if it didn’t move in just the right way it may have a slight angle, which would make it have a jump right being the blade (it could also have one on the far back but it seems harder).
I think you're right about contractors using these on job sites. The replaceable blades make it possible to get things done quickly and keep working when there is an issue with the blade. I also think someone could use this as a scrub plane.
I'm a professional finish carpenter and carry a couple of planes, a number 4, a block plane and a bullnose to be exact. I rarely use them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they are the best tool for the job, but in a modern production based world there are alot of other options that are faster and almost as accurate. For the most part I use hand planes in my shop and I enjoy sharpening them almost as much as using them. Replaceable blades are a continuous investment. If you're serious about wood working a good set of stones are a one time investment, buy once, cry once. And you will get plenty of use out of them.
@@chetfishmt your time is also a continuous investment, especially when running a bussines. Looks like people still don't understand what "time is money" really means.
@@DavorZdralo resharpening a blade that got dull from normal use isn't that time consuming. Sometimes you just need to touch it with the medium and fine stones then a little stropping. Normally less than 5 minutes.
I dont like the idea of proprietary disposable blades. You become prisoner to some corporations thingamajogger and supply chain issues in a world that is contracting and becoming less stable.
I have a Stanley RB 10 replaceable blade plane (must be 20+yrs old now) and I love it. Because I liked it so much, I bought about 100 spare blades in case they were discontinued.I'm 75 yrs old now so they should last me out ! Having said that, I also have the conventional Stanley/Bailey no5 and a Record no4 which also see plenty of use, (the RB 10 can't be used on a shooting board). Sharpening plane/ chisel blades is therapeutic I think !
Honestly, everything you said about why you hate it (disposable blades) is the very reason I'd consider it. I absolutely HATE sharpening irons and chisels. And that's why I nearly never use hand tools. I'm 99% a power tool user. But, to each their own. Still love your videos!
Rex, on the wall behind you there is a disposable blade knife. It is just convenient enough to have a possibility to quickly switch blades in the tools that somebody made them.
Yeah and further behind him is a bandsaw. I doubt he sharpens his bandsaw blades (although he might). The only thing that might deter from these planes is the blade cost. Utility knife blades are quite cheap, but the Rali blades are $5-6 apiece.
@@joseislanio8910 Yeah that killed what little interest i had for one. The laminated frame was another. If you ever end up smoothing the bottom as restoration, oil and metal will end up between laminated and will dirty the wood for ages so its essentially gone after you get any damage on it. Sure you need to be careful with cast frame as well, but least it cast and wont bend or do weird shit. This is something i would ever consider as beater plane for worksite, but i'm not working much on the field and can just sharpen if need be and even then there is cheap decent planes around specially if you restore one from garage sale.
I think it’s brilliant for people who rarely use tools, and as you said, for carpenters who work professionally. I often think about how in the old days, there must have been so many people sitting around sharpening, and in my work, I’m often going out to buy blades for everything.
I do mostly agree with you. So I googled the plane because reality is cost is a factor here. I noticed each blade is interchangle with several different planes, and they are cheap 5 blades for $24. So I agree with your points when we are talking one man shops who are making bigger/different projects. Where I think this particular tool and blades come into making sense is where its still a small shop but your cranking out projects or repeating them. Maybe a contractor thats working out of somebodies home, I can see just having 2 small packages of blades for all your planes on the jobsite could be fantastic when they hit the exact same example you mentioned, hittng a trim nail. So while I will stick to normal planes, I can see this is a pretty cool tool and could be really fantastic for the right person in the right position.
Good video. I'm still going to stick with the Rali. The thing is that I'm more about power tools and rarely use a hand plane and don't want to do all that sharpening. So for occasional use in unusual situations the Rali works for me. If I were a hand-tool guy and frequently using a hand plane frequently and in critical areas - I'm pretty sure I'd be using something other than the Rali.
As soon as I saw that blade design I thought "I bet they've made that to be interchangeable in multiple different planes", which a quick visit to their website confirmed. I think that's a nice touch, What did surprise me though, was how expensive these blades are for being disposable. (also, Rex might blow a gasket if he finds out about their disposable blade chisels)
yeah, proprietary. I would be very interested in a cheap, easy to adjust block plane (and their plastic one is under 40 bucks), but 7.50 is a bit steep for a single blade, when you can get tungsten carbide power planer blades for like 3 bucks each.
@@timmietimmins3780 Blades are $38 for 10, doesn't seem crazy expensive. I suspect the fact they are cambered makes them quite a bit more difficult to produce than a simple box cutter type blade.
I’m in Germany and I only saw the use of Rali planes with carpenters on job sides. (As Rex mentioned) At 10 pack of high speed steel replacemnt blades is between 5 and 6 Euros. They sell Tungsten carbide blades but those are expensive.
I have seen antique replacable razor blades on special iron used in swiss wooden planes. The thing is you still can sharpen them but you also can just change razor and keep going
It’s business guys, they need to make a living and I respect that Not to mention Rex’s plans are up for great prices and I for one, appreciate that greatly
@@dr.chalmers7923 I hugely respect Rex's integrity in his videos, even when he's selling something which in this case he wasn't. I was commenting on the irony that Rex made a better case for this tool than that other guy.
Great review Rex and greetings from New Zealand . I have used the Rali block plane for the past year. It has a similar disposable blade design , but its a light weight block plane you can carry in your apron pocket all day . Do retract the blade . Also with one hand you can extend the blade and you have a ready pencil sharpener .
My uncle was a finish carpenter.. he carried a small pocket plane, palm plane.... whatever you want to call it... and three blades in his pouch. Blades were covered in a sheath, because time is money.. And if his blade was beginning to dull, he would pull it and replace it, and put the old blade in its sheath. He often lamented that he didn't have spare blades for his Jack, so he would have to stop on the jobsite to sharpen that, so something like this would work for him.
there are people in the professional field swearing by these. fast and easily switching blades really is a thing they specifically buy these ugly plastic planes for.
My wifes sisters husbands father, his sons girlfriends brother is a carpenter( rough woodworkers) well in 2024 he uses a planer with 3 disposable blades and it even has a 20v rechargeable battery. Only a clown would carry this on a jobsite
Great stuff Rex. I have a horrible Paramo plane with replaceable blades dating back to probably the 70s going by the box. When an idea hasn't caught on for the best part of half a century there's probably a reason!
Here's why I think this disposable blade plane is awesome. I'm fortunate enough that my several disabilities have yet to stop me from sharpening my few chisels and plane irons, but I feel that day coming. My visual acuity make it difficult for me to sight down the plane sole to see if my iron is square to the sole. This requires using my fingers as a gauge. I take warfarin, so while necessary, it's not wise. Also sharpening takes me a long time because of chronic shoulder pain. The list gets longer the older I get. So if this nontraditional design helps me put more time and energy into something I love , so be it! You say they have special high carbon blades that last a very long time, even better!
I live in Portugal, along a long narrow supply chain. I was able to order a couple of planes on amazon, a Stanley 4 with plastic tote, and a nice faithful no 5. Both needed a lot of work on the sole and sides, but it would be the same anywhere.
In europe there are a lot of wooden plane, i can get them as cheap as a couple euros, and i'm not even in Portugal 🙂 They are a little weird to use at first if you are used to metal ajustable plane. But as your skills improve, you tend to stop adjusting your planes too often.
Here in sweden you can buy no 4 or 3 for 20-50 euro depending if it is one of the swedish or german makers or a brittish stanley in good condition. No 5 and larger is rarer and more expensive but not unobtanium. That said europe is full of wedged wooden planes that work just fine (i prefer them but thats me)
bought a record 4 for 35pounds on ebay from a british reseller, even with import fees it's not that bad or uncommon juuma n5 goes for less than 200euros new but i wouldn't recommend bedrock style plane unless you sharpen exclusively with a jig aside from that, wooden planes are cheap, a jointer goes for 30 euros or so on the second hand market
It’s the hand plane equivalent of a box cutter, the blades are great for contractors who don’t have the time to stop and sharpen a blade. You get a nick? New blade to snap in super quickly. Big chip cost you were stupid? New blade and you’re good to go. It does make more sense for specific applications
You say it’s not sharpenable, but that’s what people said about disposable razor blades. Give it a few months, some cleaver person will recreate the old kriss kross sharpeners. It’s amazing what large quantities of people, in possession of things that almost do what they want, can accomplish.
Hi Rex, want to add that I actually expected your two conclusions: it is pricey and you don't like the exchangeable blades. I am happy though that you liked the performance and the building quality. You were not recommending Veritas planes either in your earlier test videos due to the price. In German there is the word Standzeit that translate to durability/service life/tool life. The time until a tool needs to be resharpened, refurbished or exchanged. The Rali blades have an excellent Standzeit as long as you don't run them into nails. There are hard metal blades available that according to Rail work for planing aluminium...they might even perform better with nails than the standard ones. Anyway I love your channel and to watch your videos because you point out that good woodworking is not depending on fancy gear. Thank you that you took the time to review this plane.
I think they made a plane for new folks. I will be honest with you. I am the newest person here with planes but your channel has saved me. I started woodworking and I needed a plane. When I read I needed to sharpen and adjust all this stuff I was OVERWHELMED!! I can see why they made a plane that is more simple. However, thank you for your channel. You got me from having no clue to getting my first board flat! Now I just need a workbench! I have been holding my plane with one hand and holding my board with the other, lol!
Recently walked into a second hand store and bought 4 Stanley jack planes for $20 each. A bit rusty and all needed cleaning and sharpening but they were complete and repairable.
Hi from the uk I'm not a carpenter by trade I just do a lot of DIY I'm an old git now and am happy with my Stanley I just feel a little envious of younger guys, it's not worth me going out to buy a ralie at my time in life but I can appreciate it for a young contractor Keep up the good work
Great video. Thanks. I watched till the end figuring this might make a good scrub plane, but the $200 price blew me away. Also, I don't mind keeping my tools sharp. It's very satisfying to know that my woodworking is progressing to a higher level partly because my tools are at a high level. I keep my cast iron shiny, moving bits are kept lubricated, dust is kept at bay and my cutting tools are kept sharp. Fortunately, I don't work under tight scheduling deadlines. I make one-of-a kind pieces and one stipulation is that it will be done when it's done. I recently bought a 100 year old #5 Stanley from Vintage Tool Shoppe for $99. It looks barely used. Thanks again.
I have a bunch of these Rali planes. Mine came with flat soles. They are the euro style with the horn. The rabbet planes are awesome, too. I’ve let some of my guys use them on the jobsite and a couple of them have purchased Rali planes, too. I’m a fan. If you’re on the fence maybe give them a try. I have Veritas and Lie-Neilsen planes, too, and love them, but these have a place in my tool chest.
I am standing in front of the mirror looking at myself, foam in front of my mouth, holding this thing with disposable blades in my hand and asking myself if I would want to throw it away and change to a razor blade that I would have to sharpen every morning. Nahhhh. Disposable blades are expensive, yes, but I like my Gillette the way it is. 😜🤪 Honestly, Rex, you did a marvelous job in selling the Rali. If the disposable blades is the only thing that you can criticize then the Rali is the hand plane that was made for me. Woodworking is my hobby but sharpening is not where the fun is for me. Quite the opposite: It just costs time. Time that I‘d rather spend on finishing the project so that I can do the next one. That is also the reason why I use power tools. I do not have the time nor the patience to do it the traditional way. Still I love your channel and I adore the way you do your projects. But as for me, anything that speeds up my work and precision is where my way goes. I do see the need of hand planes. That‘s why I have them. But with your sales pitch for Rali and the possibility to have sharp blades within 10 seconds without any other additional tool, I will exchange all my hand planes with Rali hand planes for sure. Thanks for the video. I love your channel (although we disagree on the behalf of disposable blades… 😢) Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭 (and even if I were not Swiss and Rali were made in another country I would still love them after this video 😜)
Hey Rex great video! There are three things that you forgot to mention. That plane has an adjustable mouth which is a great feature, They say the chrome blades that come with it are for softwoods and the tungsten carbide blades they have are for hardwoods (which is stupid) and 5 chrome blades are 25$ and 1 tungsten carbide blade is 27$ or 45$ for 2. Thats a ridiculous price for blades. Even someone coming from the machining world with removable carbide inserts would have to do a double take on those prices.
Hard agree on the disposable blades. I'm tired of disposable things; tired of the ambiguity of when a dispoable thing is spent vs. when I've "gotten my money's worth" from it, tired of not knowing that I'll be able to get a replacement, tired of adding to the landfill perfectly good material that's been purposely made hard to re-use, tired of not truely owning a thing after I buy it.
The plastic on the handle looks a lot like the fibrox handles used for professional kitchen knives: several companies make these knives that are designed for businesses in the food and dinning industry, where you need a knife that's comfortable, cuts well and can take a beating. After trying all the fancy "wood-steel-japanese-style-made-in-germany" knives, I have to say these fibrox handles are the most comfortable to use, especially if your hand is wet and slippery. So it doesn't surprise me someone figured out that what works for one sharp tool works for another.
Thanks for the tips on setting up my stanley. There were loads of them at school in the 90s , never got yo use one, (should have put a couple in my bag)anyway. Recently got hold of one, as much for the novelty (i own an electric one) it was really nice to use ,despite my guessing setting it up, i especially appreciated the lack of mess, comoared to sanding or the electric plane that spits the offcuts across the room.
Speaking as a guy who just dove into the esoteric world of handmade traditional wood body Japanese planes (talk about set-up requirements!), I’m about as far from something like this as you can get. But I 100% agree with the job-site application. My good planes are never going to a jobsite unless I can be 100% clear no-one touches them. Ever. On pain of death 😁
A very good, honest review Rex, absolutely 100% agree that these would suit carpenters or home/household who needs something once in a while. First thing I was going to mention as I started watching was the inability to sharpen when dealing with PITA woods like PH, like I work with all the time and I'm sharpening every 15 or so minutes on my WR 5 1/2. Wish I had the easy access to old used tools like you guys do, because like with a lot of other hobbies I do, I enjoy the tinkering/fixing almost as much as the doing/using.
Excellent, honest, and accurate review. I’ve appreciated every review video you’ve produced. Your low angle jack review video is a classic for beginners (I point anyone to it that is thinking about getting one). Funny enough, that video showed me I didn’t need a LAJ… just like I don’t need this plane :) Thank you for saving beginners some cash that they can spend on timber.
Really good points. At first I was like its not a big deal, but I am not that experience with wood working, especially planes but after hearing your points, it totally make sense disposable blades are not good idea for long term.
Yeah, I completly agree, disposable blades are a total no go. I see 3 other problems with this plane. 1. Such a tiny thin blade, how can it not chatter with difficult wood? 2. No adjustable mouth/frog. I think adjusting mouth opening with frog or other means is nearly as important as chip breaker position when adjusting for heavy/fine shavings in difficult stuff. 3. Depth adjuster blocks a smooth exit of shavings when you are doing a lot of planing.
For years I reluctantly used hand planes, I had problems getting good results. Then one day I realized it was operator error. I took the time to learn how to sharpen and set up a plane and truthfully there was a learning curve. Now, when I use my planes it is positively a joyous experience. There is nothing like the sound and feeling of a well tuned plane effortlessly sliding across wood. All my planes are pre ww1 Stanley’s. I must admit though, that my old self would have loved a sharp, pre set up Rali.
Wow! You are really just a salesman. I'd hoped when coming across your chanel that it was going to be a breath of fresh air. No product promotion bias, no tacky sales pitch, no product build created just to push a product.........sadly I was wrong. I knew when you started it was mainly a sales tactic for the Rali plane (the reverse psychology regarding the disposable blade, nice touch but will only fool a fool). I could even overlook the fake hammer test, boy that was embarrassing ! But the final straw was your sales pitch for the renovation course. Ironically my comment will help your algorithm but many people are now reading comments before potentially wasting time on the video. P.S. There are many quality restoration videos out there for restoring old planes....FREE!
I saw thisplane back in the COVID days and chalked it up as too gimmicky. You gave it a really well thought out review and I appreciate that. I think the biggest drawback for me is the disposable blade. I quit shaving because I didn't want to deal with them. Most electric hand planes now come with carbide blades. I don't want to think about hitting a hidden nail or bullet at 25,000 RPM in some home-milled timber though. I think I'll stick with my old Scioto planes.
I bought a Rali plane about 25 years ago. You are totally right about the replaceable blades. I gave up on it and went back to my Stanleys. At the time the blades were very expensive and didn't last very long. I agree with your "No Buy" recommendation.
At the moment, a blade costs 4€ for the normal blade (so 2€ for an edge) and 25€ for a tungsten blade (12.5€ per edge). Not that expensive in my opinion. Especially as the tungsten blades last forever. After nearly two years and maybe 50hrs of planing, I am still on my 2. edge of the first blade. Just try not to run over nails, but that goes for all blades.
My dear departed Irish Grandma, who lived through the Great Depression of 1928 or so, would come back and haunt me if I got a tool that used 'disposable' parts. I am very non traditional, and agree that the idea has some benefits. For sure, the advances in 'nano' or 'micrograined' carbides makes for far sharper edges, but maybe not as sharp as you can get with the high end water stones. I have been pondering how, not if, I can make a push style mechanically adjustable Japanese style hand plane that pushes rather than pulls.....
Hi Rex. As soon as you introduced that plane, it made me think of a new era of site work. It looks every bit a site tool, reminiscent of the hard point colourful saws it is obviously designed to work alongside. Traditional hand planes have gone out of fashion in the jobsite and power hand planes are often too aggressive. Here is a plane that has all the colour, materials, lightweight and disposable nature of modern site tools. My solution to make this tool acceptable to my peers and the in-crowd would be to copy the blade and have some made that can be re-sharpened (perhaps while your drill/driver battery is fast-charging). Throughout my 40 years+ carpentry career, I have always had a block plane in my kit - and this looks like something that could extend that minimalist hand capability, without feeling like a hand tool anorak on site. It also reminds me of when Stanley introduced their Surform planes, a stab in the dark that was not taken up by professionals but is still in production for the few who swear by them, for whatever reason (I only ever use a short one for trimming ends/edges of plasterboard and nothing else...honestly, nothing else, I swear). So, I might suggest that people with an interest might buy one of these new planes, call in a favour from a metal working friend who can copy the blade to make some sharpenable ones and go for it. One other thing that this plane asks for is REPEAT SALE; once you own this, you are locked into buying replaceable blades, forever...! Unless you get re-sharpenable copies made, which is probably worth the expense in the long run. Just thinking though - if a re-sharpenable blade was made, the plane would need some way of adjusting the depth...and that's where it all falls flat on its face.
I sharpen tungsten carbide lathe tool indexable inserts that you are NOT supposed to sharpen and nobody in industrial setting would do that. I also [sometimes] sharpen boxcutter blades that you are supposed just to break of or throw away whole. So what prevents you from making an indexable blade holder and sharpening those inserts? I am pretty sure that you could adjust the blade after two or three light sharpenings / honings.
I run a very Norm Abram style wood shop, I do almost all of my work with power tools; like that pine board you planed? That would have gone through my thickness planer. I currently do not own a smoothing plane, I have a couple block planes that see occasional use chamfering corners or taking the saw marks off of something. If I were to buy a bench plane, I think I'd go for a Rali.
These are not made for woodworkers like us. They´re made to be used and abused on construction sites, for example if you have to take some material off the bottom of a door or plane the bottom if you used a saw. In this setting it makes sense because resharpening takes time and somekind of sharpening setup. It´s a good tool, just made for a different purpose.
In order for them to put blades that can be sharpened on that plane, it would have to have a blade sharpener that they would make to keep the blade evenly sharpened. Because like you said, it has no frog and can't be adjusted for level if the sharpening is off.
This is the only plane I've gotten along with. Its saved my butt a few times. I hate sharpening. Difficult grain? we all have options that deal with problem woods. Like how I recently designed a guitar headstock with a bowie knife like recurve edge that refused to be routed without tearout...but the edge was designed around the curves of the sanding machine and I sanded with it instead of routed. SInce I make guitars without sharpening planes, I don't think the analogy fits that sharpening is cooking heat. Not everyone is going to use the 15 different planes a plane collector might have, or even understand them.
I bought one of these quite a few years ago and it did actually come with a reshapenel blade! Unfortunately after years of use the blades warn out now , and they don't seem to make that blade anymore! And the disposable blades are so expensive!
Exactly right. The Rali is not for for the home shop hobby carpenter. It is for serious professionals on the job sites that aint got 2 hours to get the perfect nanoscopically polished razor edge just to knock off some sharp edges. I was a little suprised however that the sole wasnt completely dead flat, wasnt expecting poor quality like that from the Rali.
I inherited my great uncles tools and he had bought 2 of these, but I still use all his old Stanleys. Mostly cause of all the different sizes haha, but they are pretty sweet tools!
Slight disagreement with you Rex, I think this plane could be great for the beginner, or at least someone new to hand tools. Someone who wants to get into hand planing, and who hasn't developed their skill in sharpening yet; someone who may otherwise get discouraged and give up on hand planes when the real issue is they've been trying to learn with a dull, or improperly sharpened iron.
Aside from not recommending it, you eliminated the possibility of buyer’s remorse that might have developed. I decided to get one because there are too many videos on setting up, tuning, and sharpening a traditional plane. I don’t need that. I need to get the work done. This looks like the fastest and easiest way to do it.
I fully expected the disposable blades to be exactly the problem here when you mentioned them. Disposability is a liability in most applications once the given tech has reached a robust state in wide adoption.
Great video, Rex! Loved the demo with the hammer on the handle. Definitely stealing that at our next tradeshow! I hate to say it now, but we used to carry a version of the 260 Evolution with a resharpenable blade a few years ago that we eventually discontinued, as we weren't selling many of them 😬
I've grossed several million dollars as a woodworker and have a hundred thousand dollars worth of really nice tools, and I've done a fair bit of fine woodworking but I've never "gotten" hand planes. It's just too high a learning curve for me to have ever taken the time to learn it. This is the first hand plane that I've ever been tempted to buy BECAUSE of the disposable blade. I do not like sharpening tools. Maybe it's because I am self taught and never had a mentor to teach me how to sharpen things, but this seems really cool to me. I have a few old stanley hand planes, and they've just never gotten used because they are too hard for me to tune. This, I might actually use from time to time.
I had a Rali 220. Wanted to get into hand planes but was intimidated by sharpening. When I got mine the sole was nowhere near flat. The blades that came with it wore out fast. And on top, the company that carried it was not helpful. (They no longer carry Rali products). I agree. It's more for carpentry and job sites. Not fine wood working.
Sharpening is intimidating for every beginner but: 1. You'll have to sharpen something eventually. If it's not a hand plane iron, it will be a chisel or a gouge. 2. Once you get it, it's actually not that complicated (for straight/square irons at least). It's just something you have to learn if you want to use hand tools, there's really no way around it.
@@kz.irudimen I started freehand sharpening with my inherited tools right away, watched some Rex and Paul Sellers. It was easy. That was about some years ago. Last week I started to freehand sharpen knives (Thank you OUTDOORS55), a bit trickier than plane irons, chisels, axes and whatnot, but still easy. Nowdays when I need to quickly sharpen my Stanley 4 or 5, it takes about 2-3minutes.
10:17 I went to RBX for the first time the other day, and I was like a kid in a candy shop. You should give them a call and see if they'd be up for you filming in there. Would be great to show the world that place! Plus, you could pick up some old thing, maybe a window, and restore it!
Traditional European style wooden hand planes have one extreme advantage btw.: they are very nice intermediate level woodworking exercises that turn small pieces of wood into actual tools 🥳
I could learn to like such a tool but you are right about the disposeable blades. I have an old aluminum bodied Craftsman with a 4 sided square replaceable blade.....but try finding those! (I only bought it because it was weird).
When I first got started with sharpening I was scared of it. I’m still not good at it but I would never consider disposable blades. I don’t even shave with disposable blades. It seems wasteful. I agree with you 100%
Thanks for video! That was super informative. I see only one reason of using disposable blades: it's just marketing thing. You can't gain money continuously, doing more stable/durable/eternal materials and details.
I wonder if Compass Rose Tool Works could make a jig for sharpening disposable plane blades. Even if you only got a few rounds out of each side of the blade it would make a big difference. Although there may not be enough blade there to afford the loss of material to sharpening. Just woodworking thoughts. 🤔
I agree with you. Ability to sharpen is essential for a hand tool. Wouldn't be enough redesign the bade holder to be made from tool steel and dispense with the proprietary blade ??
Oh one thing you didn't mention price-wise - the replacement blades are about $5/each for the steel and over 30 (oof) for a carbide one. Not sure how long they last for, but I know I resharpen my plane irons pretty dang often. Heck, I can buy a really good new iron for $30.
Call me a heretic but I really like the idea of disposable blades. OK, maybe not necessarily the fact that they’re disposable but the fact that I don’t have to sharpen them. Ever. I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.
"This construction has to be flat" only if they machine the sole after assembly. The tolerance on the locations of the holes and the clearance between the pins and holes leads to an inevitable mismatch between adjacent plates and between the independent areas in front and behind the mouth. That can only be corrected after it's all put together. I've had a Rali rabbet plane for >20 years. While the blades are intended to be disposable, they are easily sharpened. You can use a jig like you might use for jointer or planer blades. My only real complaint is that there are some rubber O-rings in the mechanism that have recently disintegrated. They're probably replaceable, but I haven't got around to it.
100% agree with you about a sharpenable blade. Come the apocalypse I need to be able to rely on my hand sharpened blades. Oh and there is probably some environmental argument there that is less important to me but may well swing it for others. Love your work
it’s true that steel forging is one of the worst industries for the environment but this is such a small scale niche product there’s no way that aspect should be a deal breaker for someone
This would actually work well for my dad. As he has gotten older, he has less interest in sharpening his tools, so he doesn't even use a non electric hand plane anymore. As he puts it im too old and only have so many hours left to make things and i dont want to waste it doing something i dont enjoy just so i can do the thing i do.
Highly specific example but maybe good for taking out to on-site finishing work where there’s no room or time for sharpening and you just need a fresh sharp edge that goes right in with little adjustment. But it could also be good for us weekend “hybrid woodworkers” (penny to Marc) who just don’t use planes enough to get really good at adjusting and sharpening.
Learning how to properly sharpen tools can be an almost insurmountable task for some people they’ll never keep the tool straight enough flat enough true enough to have it work properly. Are you telling these people they shouldn’t be woodworkers? Why can’t they go into their basement or garage or workshop And have fun with wood and build things. I personally make heirloom projects that can be passed down from one generation to the next easily. I actually built a friend of mine and entertainment center. He can pass down for the next 300 years as long as it doesn’t get damaged otherwise, it’s a perfectly good well-made piece of furniture. And I use power tools mostly with just a few hand tools. So what’s wrong with this plane that would allow people to use another hand tool and make it easier for them. Not to mention you can spend a lot of time re-sharpening and realigning tools so What’s your time worth to you? It’s all about relaxing and enjoying the creative and artistic expressions in wood no matter what you choose to make. It also shouldn’t matter which tools you use. However, if you’re restoring antique furniture, please stick with hide glue. Yes, modern day glutes are stronger and last longer, but if you’re trying to keep the antique original, hide glue is the only way to go.
Hi Rex... here's a cabinet maker from Switzerland. As many people know, the price (and so the salary) level in Switzerland is extremely high. One blade with two sharp edges is about 5 US$. A certified cabinet maker or carpenter earns about 35 US$ per hour and a customer pays about 100-130 US$ per hour per worker on a job site or in the workshop. So for 2.5 US$ per "sharpening" ther are only 1.5 minutes to get a perfect edge... includig dis- and reassamble the plane... not possible i think... so... in Switzerland you can find Rali planes in about every professionel workshop... and the carbide blades are allso grate for aluminum, high pressure laminates and all kind of abrassive fireproof boards...
This is true even outside of Swizerland to a lesser degree, certainly outside a workshop where your stones are ready to go. Being able to run it across things like insulation is indeed great. I'm quite upset though by how bad that plane came- not flat at all. You might as well use a chisel in a block of wood. Not swiss quality, that's what I expect from a diy shop's own brand.
As far as tool fiddling, hot swap blades is great- but if you could swap out regular blades you can still sharpen them back home, when you sharpen your chisels anyway. The disposable on its own doesn't add as big a benefit as being able to swap them.
If you see say a Japanese box plane being swapped out, you can easily do it quicker than this tool and sharpen many at once. They have their limitations- but set up a jig and a whole batch of blades can be sharpened in 10 minutes. These blades *could* cost you 50c a sharpening.
At least until you have disposable chisels and you can forgo sharpening completely it just isn't that great.
Compared to the stanley, yes, faster, but they're awkward and slow in the first place. It could've easily been straight up better than a mere trade off.
Again, it really comes down to me 'but I have to sharpen my chisels anyway'
The carbide blades do make it worth it seperately no debate there- and i'd rather have one tool, so I agree with your choice, but I still feel you're paying for the benefit. Another consumable to stock and carry is a burden on its own.
How an you even do woodworking in Europe? All trees have been cut down and replaced by fast growing pine long ago. Oh.. it was only done in the Russia-controlled Eastern Europe. Thanks, Russia for destroying environment for millions!
@@mandowarrior123 It is impossible to hand sharpen a blade with a stone and have that blade automatically set square in the body. Also RALI's blades come in 2 versions, the carbide one that lasts almost forever and is good enough for a professional worker that uses power tools 95% of the time or even more, the other one, suitable for more refined works, is not made with regular steel, but with high speed steel. And HSS remains sharpen a very long time even if not as long as carbide ones.
As Konrad told time is money, all the time you spare from not having to sharpen is time that you can spend producing, I had used a couple of those planes when I worked professionally as a carpenter and are great planes, planes that are built for the professional woodworkers needs, but have a place also in some hobby workers workshops as there are amateur woodworkers that use mainly power tools and lack the skill needed to properly sharpen, set and maintain a traditional plane.
I love using hand planes and I know how to sharpen, set and use them so I don't own a RALI plane for my little hobby workshop but if I should turn back to professional woodworking I really think that I would buy one. And by the way my professional grade power sander is used very little these days as I prefer to use a hand plane that is faster, does not produce dust and gives a better surface compared to the one left by the sand paper, I don't think that I could have achived that with a RALI and I mention it here not to brag, but to give you a perspective about how much I love and try to master hand planes, still i repeat, RALI planes are great, even if maybe are not the perfect planes for you and me.
Well, you forgot the markup on the blade price.. -if the cost is 35$ for a employee and the price is 130$, then the markup is around 3-4x. So the blade is closer to 20$ in your equation, more or less.
Still only gives you 6 minutes, but doable.
Well, i need a minute so get my old wooden plane dissasembled, sharpen the blade and reinstall the blade.
I'm not very fond of the idea of proprietary blades. in the end, it would be just the equivalent to printer cartridges.
What I really dislike is the disposable blade part, it's just sad
depends entirely on how long those blades last, unless grossly miss handled, the tungsten carbide blades should last a hobbyist for a very long time and unlike printer cartridges, these blades won't go bad if you don't use them.
another advantage i see is that high carbon steel needs maintenance or it'll rust, if you're someone who's in the shop only throughout the winter months, because you'd rather be out fishing during summer, having tools that you can just not look at for eight months without anything going wrong, can make a difference.
a third factor is motivation, this might just be a me thing, but when motivation gets me and i want to do stuff, i NEED to be able to go in and start ASAP, if i end up discovering that i need to sharpen a tool first before i can start or god forbid look for a tool that my dad or someone left not where it was supposed to be, I'm instantly tempted to say "fuck it!" grab a beer and call it for the day.
@@windhelmguard5295I would hope they last a really long time, considering the tungsten carbide blade is as expensive as a Hock iron that will last 2 or 3 lifetimes
Do you buy razor blades for shaving?
@@PistonHonda87 I do, it costs cents because its shape is a universal standart and various companies produce them. I don't see many companies making those blades, and I don't see it changing in the foreseeable future.
I'm in Germany, I agree totally with you. I've used the Rali planes many times in the last 25 years and they are perfect on site, chipboard, MDF, OSB, no problem, hit a nail, not a problem just change the blade. They are made for site work, but I don't like the one use blades for fine work...
I’m a contractor and I have always enjoyed woodworking to relax and when I really need to make something perfect I whip out the planes and after 15 years my old jobsite Stanley’s are like a secret weapon. And I have all sorts of blades for my 4s and 5’s. They do things my power planers and belt sanders could never do. But I did make the mistake of bringing a block plane on the jobsite and it wasn’t 20 minutes before someone picked it up and ran it into a piece of wood with nails in it. I keep my good planes at home. My users and stones stay in the truck. But unfortunately I fear planes will never earn a spot on the jobsite because of the skill and experience required to use and maintain them. Love your work Rex
Good point.
Maybe they are not for everyday installers but for us with bit higher altitude they are useful and hard to replace
I hear you. But ain't it crazy the point you just made? Planes will not make it in a professional setting Because of the skill they require!?
It's a really upsidedown society where the professionals cannot use the tools of the home gamers, because they lack the skill.
I live about an hour's drive from the Rali factory!
With the light weight of the plane, something to bear in mind is that they're replacing continental horned wooden planes that are also light.
Also, the original Rali plane in the continental format is cheaper than the Stanley shaped model.
Here in Switzerlandthey've become the new standard. As you said, they're clever and reasonably priced for what they do. In a way they're like Swiss army knives: simple, clever, functional and efficient.
I don't like them. I find it hard to adjust exactly right, and I find that I can get my edges just as sharp if not sharper than their blades. I prefer the feel on my wooden planes and of my Stanley style planes (but people said the same thing about Stanley planes when they first appeared...).
It's a great product for a world that no longer knows how to sharpen, but it's not for me.
They also make chisels with disposable blades! Let us know what you think of THEM!
You could save a lot money as a hobbyist with a Rali. By the time you get done spending $400 on Shapton stones and the time wasted on sharpening you could just replace the blade. I for one get damn tired of having to sharpen blades and I have a planer and a jointer that does a majority of my work. I think I will give them a try.
I’ve been using them for two years along with their chisels they are great and you can sharpen them despite being advertised as disposable.
If you use it once a year yeah, but Rex has a good point - shopping for an antique, a lot cheaper
You won’t be disappointed. I have 2.
The thing is, you don't need spend $400 on stones to get scary sharp results. And the second thing is, these Rali blades are $5 each.
So you plan on using only a hand plane, no chisels, spokeshaves, knives? Cause those need sharpening as well.
I bought three Rali planes and love them. I buy planes to use, not to restore, sharpen, or tune them. Also there are no stones to buy, no diamond plates, no Scary Sharp system, no CBN wheels, nothing.
I'm not a hand tools guy and don't give a flip about tradition. I want to get on with a job, not have to stop to sharpen anything. Even my machines have helical cutters.
i bought them for my woodworking and they work for me
You’re right to point out that it’s not as simple as “it’s wrong that the blades are disposable”. For planes that can be sharpened, there are a lot of other consumables you have to use and that means more consumption. I could argue that the Rali system reduces consumption… and guess what- the baldes are metal, so into the recycling bin. Ooh yes and the price of all that quality sharpening gear…!
the sharpening gear: a two sided stone 400 1000 and your hands, a single piece of leather and a smidge of polishing wax. nets at about 25 dollars in my country.
@@theterribleanimator1793Yea, And you are also probably going to want to them anyway to sharpen other stuff. And if you want to go cheap you can just use sand paper.
@@theterribleanimator1793 Depends on how you cost your time. Do you use disposable blade utility knives? A 'cut throat' razor?
I'm a professional woodworker and I bought the Systainer RALI case with all the Evolution N range.
These tools save me a lot of time both in the workshop and on building sites.
The blades last a very long time and are compatible with all my planers.
I haven't had any problems with the sole, and they're perfectly flat. You must have had a problem when transporting them, but all you have to do is unscrew the screws on the sides and tap the front and back to make the sole of the plane perfectly flat again.
These tools are always ready for use, which is a great comfort when it comes to simple adjustments.
Bravo RALI and Swiss quality!
Thanks Rex for your video.
Having a hump behind the mouth will not be fixed by what you state, am I missing something?
@@justinsane332yes the mouth is adjustable meaning that the back can move back and forth. Metal being what it is, if it didn’t move in just the right way it may have a slight angle, which would make it have a jump right being the blade (it could also have one on the far back but it seems harder).
I think you're right about contractors using these on job sites. The replaceable blades make it possible to get things done quickly and keep working when there is an issue with the blade. I also think someone could use this as a scrub plane.
Not really as a scrub. The heavily cambered blade is what makes it a scrub plane. But for planing of paint and grime? Great idea
I'm a professional finish carpenter and carry a couple of planes, a number 4, a block plane and a bullnose to be exact. I rarely use them. Don't get me wrong, sometimes they are the best tool for the job, but in a modern production based world there are alot of other options that are faster and almost as accurate. For the most part I use hand planes in my shop and I enjoy sharpening them almost as much as using them. Replaceable blades are a continuous investment. If you're serious about wood working a good set of stones are a one time investment, buy once, cry once. And you will get plenty of use out of them.
@@chetfishmt your time is also a continuous investment, especially when running a bussines. Looks like people still don't understand what "time is money" really means.
@@DavorZdralo resharpening a blade that got dull from normal use isn't that time consuming. Sometimes you just need to touch it with the medium and fine stones then a little stropping. Normally less than 5 minutes.
I dont like the idea of proprietary disposable blades. You become prisoner to some corporations thingamajogger and supply chain issues in a world that is contracting and becoming less stable.
I have a Stanley RB 10 replaceable blade plane (must be 20+yrs old now) and I love it. Because I liked it so much, I bought about 100 spare blades in case they were discontinued.I'm 75 yrs old now so they should last me out ! Having said that, I also have the conventional Stanley/Bailey no5 and a Record no4 which also see plenty of use, (the RB 10 can't be used on a shooting board). Sharpening plane/ chisel blades is therapeutic I think !
Honestly, everything you said about why you hate it (disposable blades) is the very reason I'd consider it. I absolutely HATE sharpening irons and chisels. And that's why I nearly never use hand tools. I'm 99% a power tool user. But, to each their own. Still love your videos!
I get where youre coming from because I also mostly use power tools… problem is I’m a sucker for a nice antique 😂
@@dr.chalmers7923 - Oh, don't get me wrong, I have a couple of Stanly planes, a #4 and a #5, as well as a block plane. I just never use 'em.
Rex, on the wall behind you there is a disposable blade knife. It is just convenient enough to have a possibility to quickly switch blades in the tools that somebody made them.
Yeah and further behind him is a bandsaw. I doubt he sharpens his bandsaw blades (although he might). The only thing that might deter from these planes is the blade cost. Utility knife blades are quite cheap, but the Rali blades are $5-6 apiece.
@@johnnichols8553 Yeah, OK, I was a fan - but that blade cost is a bit of a deal-killer. Thanks for the info, John.
@@johnnichols8553 that's the difference from a common standard (like the knife blades) to a proprietary form factor.
@@joseislanio8910 Yeah that killed what little interest i had for one. The laminated frame was another. If you ever end up smoothing the bottom as restoration, oil and metal will end up between laminated and will dirty the wood for ages so its essentially gone after you get any damage on it. Sure you need to be careful with cast frame as well, but least it cast and wont bend or do weird shit. This is something i would ever consider as beater plane for worksite, but i'm not working much on the field and can just sharpen if need be and even then there is cheap decent planes around specially if you restore one from garage sale.
I think it’s brilliant for people who rarely use tools, and as you said, for carpenters who work professionally. I often think about how in the old days, there must have been so many people sitting around sharpening, and in my work, I’m often going out to buy blades for everything.
I do mostly agree with you. So I googled the plane because reality is cost is a factor here. I noticed each blade is interchangle with several different planes, and they are cheap 5 blades for $24. So I agree with your points when we are talking one man shops who are making bigger/different projects. Where I think this particular tool and blades come into making sense is where its still a small shop but your cranking out projects or repeating them. Maybe a contractor thats working out of somebodies home, I can see just having 2 small packages of blades for all your planes on the jobsite could be fantastic when they hit the exact same example you mentioned, hittng a trim nail. So while I will stick to normal planes, I can see this is a pretty cool tool and could be really fantastic for the right person in the right position.
I've had my Rali plane for 27 years, I love it.
Great vid Rex. I agree it's a job site tool; that laminated body isn't going to crack if you drop it.
Good video. I'm still going to stick with the Rali.
The thing is that I'm more about power tools and rarely use a hand plane and don't want to do all that sharpening. So for occasional use in unusual situations the Rali works for me.
If I were a hand-tool guy and frequently using a hand plane frequently and in critical areas - I'm pretty sure I'd be using something other than the Rali.
Same.
Why sell one product when you can sell one product plus replaceable parts? Yeah, I'm looking at you too, Gillette.
Fully agree with disposable blades problem 👍In addition, it makes you captive from Rally spares...
As soon as I saw that blade design I thought "I bet they've made that to be interchangeable in multiple different planes", which a quick visit to their website confirmed. I think that's a nice touch, What did surprise me though, was how expensive these blades are for being disposable.
(also, Rex might blow a gasket if he finds out about their disposable blade chisels)
yeah, proprietary. I would be very interested in a cheap, easy to adjust block plane (and their plastic one is under 40 bucks), but 7.50 is a bit steep for a single blade, when you can get tungsten carbide power planer blades for like 3 bucks each.
@@timmietimmins3780 Blades are $38 for 10, doesn't seem crazy expensive. I suspect the fact they are cambered makes them quite a bit more difficult to produce than a simple box cutter type blade.
I’m in Germany and I only saw the use of Rali planes with carpenters on job sides. (As Rex mentioned)
At 10 pack of high speed steel replacemnt blades is between 5 and 6 Euros. They sell Tungsten carbide blades but those are expensive.
I have seen antique replacable razor blades on special iron used in swiss wooden planes. The thing is you still can sharpen them but you also can just change razor and keep going
You did a better job selling it to me telling me not to buy than another channel offering me a discount code. Still nope on disposable blades though.
I'm just gonna say it, I also saw this on the Workshop Companion website. Also didn't like the coupon code at the end of the video.
It’s business guys, they need to make a living and I respect that
Not to mention Rex’s plans are up for great prices and I for one, appreciate that greatly
@@dr.chalmers7923 I hugely respect Rex's integrity in his videos, even when he's selling something which in this case he wasn't. I was commenting on the irony that Rex made a better case for this tool than that other guy.
Disposable sharpened blades? How neat!
I hate it.
I Second Rex's view on disposable blades ( infact, anything disposable, except, maybe, Medical stuff). I'm on the hill right by his side !
Medical has gone overboard on disposable: nearly everything is thrown away now, and part of the astounding increase in fees.
They are recyclable.
@@michaelstanley6466
what else do you do with them?
get everyone else sick?
Great review Rex and greetings from New Zealand . I have used the Rali block plane for the past year. It has a similar disposable blade design , but its a light weight block plane you can carry in your apron pocket all day . Do retract the blade . Also with one hand you can extend the blade and you have a ready pencil sharpener .
My uncle was a finish carpenter.. he carried a small pocket plane, palm plane.... whatever you want to call it... and three blades in his pouch. Blades were covered in a sheath, because time is money.. And if his blade was beginning to dull, he would pull it and replace it, and put the old blade in its sheath.
He often lamented that he didn't have spare blades for his Jack, so he would have to stop on the jobsite to sharpen that, so something like this would work for him.
there are people in the professional field swearing by these. fast and easily switching blades really is a thing they specifically buy these ugly plastic planes for.
My wifes sisters husbands father, his sons girlfriends brother is a carpenter( rough woodworkers) well in 2024 he uses a planer with 3 disposable blades and it even has a 20v rechargeable battery. Only a clown would carry this on a jobsite
@@chopper9303 Then the world is full of clowns who are capable of using a hand plane and don't need a battery...
@@dlevi67 Point being, want disposable blades for speed and laziness? Buy a cordless planer muppet
@@chopper9303 Point being, I don't need an expensive and badly-finishing cordless "planer", idiot.
Great stuff Rex. I have a horrible Paramo plane with replaceable blades dating back to probably the 70s going by the box. When an idea hasn't caught on for the best part of half a century there's probably a reason!
Here's why I think this disposable blade plane is awesome. I'm fortunate enough that my several disabilities have yet to stop me from sharpening my few chisels and plane irons, but I feel that day coming. My visual acuity make it difficult for me to sight down the plane sole to see if my iron is square to the sole. This requires using my fingers as a gauge. I take warfarin, so while necessary, it's not wise. Also sharpening takes me a long time because of chronic shoulder pain. The list gets longer the older I get. So if this nontraditional design helps me put more time and energy into something I love , so be it! You say they have special high carbon blades that last a very long time, even better!
5:50 That's totally a roller coaster safety bar.
I didn't think about contractors using this, that's a good point.
Thanks for making this video Rex, I'm really glad I'm not the only person who is extremely hesitant to use disposable tools. It's so wasteful!
If I was doing this for money, I would absolutely get these and not look back.
I dunno, some other dude or dudette commented that blades are 50euros per 10 blades on Amazon Germany, ain't cheap.
This is a perfect review, I feel. It shows everything about the plane and then brings back to the one key point, reuse!
Thing is, over here in Europe you can't find cheap Stanley planes at all. And the Veritas low angle jack 382 mm starts at 362 euro's :(
I live in Portugal, along a long narrow supply chain. I was able to order a couple of planes on amazon, a Stanley 4 with plastic tote, and a nice faithful no 5. Both needed a lot of work on the sole and sides, but it would be the same anywhere.
In europe there are a lot of wooden plane, i can get them as cheap as a couple euros, and i'm not even in Portugal 🙂
They are a little weird to use at first if you are used to metal ajustable plane. But as your skills improve, you tend to stop adjusting your planes too often.
New Stanley Bailey's at 75 to 100 Euro, half the price of this Rali plane. You can buy a nice set of sharpening stones for the difference :)
Here in sweden you can buy no 4 or 3 for 20-50 euro depending if it is one of the swedish or german makers or a brittish stanley in good condition. No 5 and larger is rarer and more expensive but not unobtanium.
That said europe is full of wedged wooden planes that work just fine (i prefer them but thats me)
bought a record 4 for 35pounds on ebay from a british reseller, even with import fees it's not that bad or uncommon
juuma n5 goes for less than 200euros new but i wouldn't recommend bedrock style plane unless you sharpen exclusively with a jig
aside from that, wooden planes are cheap, a jointer goes for 30 euros or so on the second hand market
It’s the hand plane equivalent of a box cutter, the blades are great for contractors who don’t have the time to stop and sharpen a blade. You get a nick? New blade to snap in super quickly. Big chip cost you were stupid? New blade and you’re good to go. It does make more sense for specific applications
But the $5 per blade seems a bit steep, even for contractors and such.
@@kimmosaarinen2780 hold on it’s $5 PER BLADE??
You say it’s not sharpenable, but that’s what people said about disposable razor blades. Give it a few months, some cleaver person will recreate the old kriss kross sharpeners. It’s amazing what large quantities of people, in possession of things that almost do what they want, can accomplish.
Thank you for this video. I own a Rali 220 EVO and love it. I seldom use any of my other handplanes (have a Veritas as well)
Hi Rex, want to add that I actually expected your two conclusions: it is pricey and you don't like the exchangeable blades. I am happy though that you liked the performance and the building quality. You were not recommending Veritas planes either in your earlier test videos due to the price. In German there is the word Standzeit that translate to durability/service life/tool life. The time until a tool needs to be resharpened, refurbished or exchanged. The Rali blades have an excellent Standzeit as long as you don't run them into nails. There are hard metal blades available that according to Rail work for planing aluminium...they might even perform better with nails than the standard ones.
Anyway I love your channel and to watch your videos because you point out that good woodworking is not depending on fancy gear.
Thank you that you took the time to review this plane.
I think they made a plane for new folks. I will be honest with you. I am the newest person here with planes but your channel has saved me. I started woodworking and I needed a plane. When I read I needed to sharpen and adjust all this stuff I was OVERWHELMED!! I can see why they made a plane that is more simple.
However, thank you for your channel. You got me from having no clue to getting my first board flat! Now I just need a workbench! I have been holding my plane with one hand and holding my board with the other, lol!
Recently walked into a second hand store and bought 4 Stanley jack planes for $20 each. A bit rusty and all needed cleaning and sharpening but they were complete and repairable.
8:21 That's not a wrench. Mr. Nick Engler also covered this tool on his channel, and he was told by a Rali rep that that thing's a bottle opener.
Hi from the uk
I'm not a carpenter by trade I just do a lot of DIY I'm an old git now and am happy with my Stanley I just feel a little envious of younger guys, it's not worth me going out to buy a ralie at my time in life but I can appreciate it for a young contractor
Keep up the good work
Great video. Thanks. I watched till the end figuring this might make a good scrub plane, but the $200 price blew me away. Also, I don't mind keeping my tools sharp. It's very satisfying to know that my woodworking is progressing to a higher level partly because my tools are at a high level. I keep my cast iron shiny, moving bits are kept lubricated, dust is kept at bay and my cutting tools are kept sharp. Fortunately, I don't work under tight scheduling deadlines. I make one-of-a kind pieces and one stipulation is that it will be done when it's done. I recently bought a 100 year old #5 Stanley from Vintage Tool Shoppe for $99. It looks barely used. Thanks again.
I have a bunch of these Rali planes. Mine came with flat soles. They are the euro style with the horn. The rabbet planes are awesome, too. I’ve let some of my guys use them on the jobsite and a couple of them have purchased Rali planes, too. I’m a fan. If you’re on the fence maybe give them a try. I have Veritas and Lie-Neilsen planes, too, and love them, but these have a place in my tool chest.
I am standing in front of the mirror looking at myself, foam in front of my mouth, holding this thing with disposable blades in my hand and asking myself if I would want to throw it away and change to a razor blade that I would have to sharpen every morning. Nahhhh. Disposable blades are expensive, yes, but I like my Gillette the way it is. 😜🤪
Honestly, Rex, you did a marvelous job in selling the Rali. If the disposable blades is the only thing that you can criticize then the Rali is the hand plane that was made for me. Woodworking is my hobby but sharpening is not where the fun is for me. Quite the opposite: It just costs time. Time that I‘d rather spend on finishing the project so that I can do the next one. That is also the reason why I use power tools. I do not have the time nor the patience to do it the traditional way. Still I love your channel and I adore the way you do your projects. But as for me, anything that speeds up my work and precision is where my way goes. I do see the need of hand planes. That‘s why I have them. But with your sales pitch for Rali and the possibility to have sharp blades within 10 seconds without any other additional tool, I will exchange all my hand planes with Rali hand planes for sure.
Thanks for the video. I love your channel (although we disagree on the behalf of disposable blades… 😢)
Greetings from Switzerland 🇨🇭 (and even if I were not Swiss and Rali were made in another country I would still love them after this video 😜)
Hey Rex great video! There are three things that you forgot to mention. That plane has an adjustable mouth which is a great feature, They say the chrome blades that come with it are for softwoods and the tungsten carbide blades they have are for hardwoods (which is stupid) and 5 chrome blades are 25$ and 1 tungsten carbide blade is 27$ or 45$ for 2. Thats a ridiculous price for blades. Even someone coming from the machining world with removable carbide inserts would have to do a double take on those prices.
Think it could be sharpened on a T&C grinder or maybe an Accu-finish? Probably need to work out a jig for the camber before using the blade.
the tungsten carbide blades are for fiber board and plastic coating
Hard agree on the disposable blades. I'm tired of disposable things; tired of the ambiguity of when a dispoable thing is spent vs. when I've "gotten my money's worth" from it, tired of not knowing that I'll be able to get a replacement, tired of adding to the landfill perfectly good material that's been purposely made hard to re-use, tired of not truely owning a thing after I buy it.
The plastic on the handle looks a lot like the fibrox handles used for professional kitchen knives: several companies make these knives that are designed for businesses in the food and dinning industry, where you need a knife that's comfortable, cuts well and can take a beating. After trying all the fancy "wood-steel-japanese-style-made-in-germany" knives, I have to say these fibrox handles are the most comfortable to use, especially if your hand is wet and slippery. So it doesn't surprise me someone figured out that what works for one sharp tool works for another.
Thanks for the tips on setting up my stanley. There were loads of them at school in the 90s , never got yo use one, (should have put a couple in my bag)anyway. Recently got hold of one, as much for the novelty (i own an electric one) it was really nice to use ,despite my guessing setting it up, i especially appreciated the lack of mess, comoared to sanding or the electric plane that spits the offcuts across the room.
"I love everything about your product except the business model" is also my opinion of most things developed this century.
Speaking as a guy who just dove into the esoteric world of handmade traditional wood body Japanese planes (talk about set-up requirements!), I’m about as far from something like this as you can get. But I 100% agree with the job-site application. My good planes are never going to a jobsite unless I can be 100% clear no-one touches them. Ever. On pain of death 😁
A very good, honest review Rex, absolutely 100% agree that these would suit carpenters or home/household who needs something once in a while. First thing I was going to mention as I started watching was the inability to sharpen when dealing with PITA woods like PH, like I work with all the time and I'm sharpening every 15 or so minutes on my WR 5 1/2. Wish I had the easy access to old used tools like you guys do, because like with a lot of other hobbies I do, I enjoy the tinkering/fixing almost as much as the doing/using.
Excellent, honest, and accurate review. I’ve appreciated every review video you’ve produced. Your low angle jack review video is a classic for beginners (I point anyone to it that is thinking about getting one). Funny enough, that video showed me I didn’t need a LAJ… just like I don’t need this plane :) Thank you for saving beginners some cash that they can spend on timber.
Really good points. At first I was like its not a big deal, but I am not that experience with wood working, especially planes but after hearing your points, it totally make sense disposable blades are not good idea for long term.
Yeah, I completly agree, disposable blades are a total no go. I see 3 other problems with this plane. 1. Such a tiny thin blade, how can it not chatter with difficult wood? 2. No adjustable mouth/frog. I think adjusting mouth opening with frog or other means is nearly as important as chip breaker position when adjusting for heavy/fine shavings in difficult stuff. 3. Depth adjuster blocks a smooth exit of shavings when you are doing a lot of planing.
For years I reluctantly used hand planes, I had problems getting good results. Then one day I realized it was operator error. I took the time to learn how to sharpen and set up a plane and truthfully there was a learning curve. Now, when I use my planes it is positively a joyous experience. There is nothing like the sound and feeling of a well tuned plane effortlessly sliding across wood. All my planes are pre ww1 Stanley’s. I must admit though, that my old self would have loved a sharp, pre set up Rali.
Wow! You are really just a salesman. I'd hoped when coming across your chanel that it was going to be a breath of fresh air. No product promotion bias, no tacky sales pitch, no product build created just to push a product.........sadly I was wrong.
I knew when you started it was mainly a sales tactic for the Rali plane (the reverse psychology regarding the disposable blade, nice touch but will only fool a fool). I could even overlook the fake hammer test, boy that was embarrassing !
But the final straw was your sales pitch for the renovation course. Ironically my comment will help your algorithm but many people are now reading comments before potentially wasting time on the video.
P.S. There are many quality restoration videos out there for restoring old planes....FREE!
I saw thisplane back in the COVID days and chalked it up as too gimmicky. You gave it a really well thought out review and I appreciate that. I think the biggest drawback for me is the disposable blade. I quit shaving because I didn't want to deal with them. Most electric hand planes now come with carbide blades. I don't want to think about hitting a hidden nail or bullet at 25,000 RPM in some home-milled timber though. I think I'll stick with my old Scioto planes.
20:27 presumably with just few changes, they could put in a 2-3 inch iron where the razor blade currently goes.
I love innovation! The more the better 😊
I bought a Rali plane about 25 years ago. You are totally right about the replaceable blades. I gave up on it and went back to my Stanleys. At the time the blades were very expensive and didn't last very long. I agree with your "No Buy" recommendation.
At the moment, a blade costs 4€ for the normal blade (so 2€ for an edge) and 25€ for a tungsten blade (12.5€ per edge). Not that expensive in my opinion. Especially as the tungsten blades last forever. After nearly two years and maybe 50hrs of planing, I am still on my 2. edge of the first blade. Just try not to run over nails, but that goes for all blades.
My dear departed Irish Grandma, who lived through the Great Depression of 1928 or so, would come back and haunt me if I got a tool that used 'disposable' parts. I am very non traditional, and agree that the idea has some benefits. For sure, the advances in 'nano' or 'micrograined' carbides makes for far sharper edges, but maybe not as sharp as you can get with the high end water stones. I have been pondering how, not if, I can make a push style mechanically adjustable Japanese style hand plane that pushes rather than pulls.....
Hi Rex. As soon as you introduced that plane, it made me think of a new era of site work. It looks every bit a site tool, reminiscent of the hard point colourful saws it is obviously designed to work alongside. Traditional hand planes have gone out of fashion in the jobsite and power hand planes are often too aggressive. Here is a plane that has all the colour, materials, lightweight and disposable nature of modern site tools. My solution to make this tool acceptable to my peers and the in-crowd would be to copy the blade and have some made that can be re-sharpened (perhaps while your drill/driver battery is fast-charging). Throughout my 40 years+ carpentry career, I have always had a block plane in my kit - and this looks like something that could extend that minimalist hand capability, without feeling like a hand tool anorak on site. It also reminds me of when Stanley introduced their Surform planes, a stab in the dark that was not taken up by professionals but is still in production for the few who swear by them, for whatever reason (I only ever use a short one for trimming ends/edges of plasterboard and nothing else...honestly, nothing else, I swear). So, I might suggest that people with an interest might buy one of these new planes, call in a favour from a metal working friend who can copy the blade to make some sharpenable ones and go for it. One other thing that this plane asks for is REPEAT SALE; once you own this, you are locked into buying replaceable blades, forever...! Unless you get re-sharpenable copies made, which is probably worth the expense in the long run. Just thinking though - if a re-sharpenable blade was made, the plane would need some way of adjusting the depth...and that's where it all falls flat on its face.
I sharpen tungsten carbide lathe tool indexable inserts that you are NOT supposed to sharpen and nobody in industrial setting would do that. I also [sometimes] sharpen boxcutter blades that you are supposed just to break of or throw away whole.
So what prevents you from making an indexable blade holder and sharpening those inserts? I am pretty sure that you could adjust the blade after two or three light sharpenings / honings.
I run a very Norm Abram style wood shop, I do almost all of my work with power tools; like that pine board you planed? That would have gone through my thickness planer.
I currently do not own a smoothing plane, I have a couple block planes that see occasional use chamfering corners or taking the saw marks off of something. If I were to buy a bench plane, I think I'd go for a Rali.
These are not made for woodworkers like us. They´re made to be used and abused on construction sites, for example if you have to take some material off the bottom of a door or plane the bottom if you used a saw. In this setting it makes sense because resharpening takes time and somekind of sharpening setup. It´s a good tool, just made for a different purpose.
In order for them to put blades that can be sharpened on that plane, it would have to have a blade sharpener that they would make to keep the blade evenly sharpened. Because like you said, it has no frog and can't be adjusted for level if the sharpening is off.
Obviously they want folks to have to buy endless expensive disposable blades to a captive market. The gift that keeps on giving.
This is the only plane I've gotten along with. Its saved my butt a few times. I hate sharpening. Difficult grain? we all have options that deal with problem woods. Like how I recently designed a guitar headstock with a bowie knife like recurve edge that refused to be routed without tearout...but the edge was designed around the curves of the sanding machine and I sanded with it instead of routed.
SInce I make guitars without sharpening planes, I don't think the analogy fits that sharpening is cooking heat. Not everyone is going to use the 15 different planes a plane collector might have, or even understand them.
I bought one of these quite a few years ago and it did actually come with a reshapenel blade! Unfortunately after years of use the blades warn out now , and they don't seem to make that blade anymore! And the disposable blades are so expensive!
Exactly right. The Rali is not for for the home shop hobby carpenter. It is for serious professionals on the job sites that aint got 2 hours to get the perfect nanoscopically polished razor edge just to knock off some sharp edges. I was a little suprised however that the sole wasnt completely dead flat, wasnt expecting poor quality like that from the Rali.
I inherited my great uncles tools and he had bought 2 of these, but I still use all his old Stanleys. Mostly cause of all the different sizes haha, but they are pretty sweet tools!
Slight disagreement with you Rex, I think this plane could be great for the beginner, or at least someone new to hand tools. Someone who wants to get into hand planing, and who hasn't developed their skill in sharpening yet; someone who may otherwise get discouraged and give up on hand planes when the real issue is they've been trying to learn with a dull, or improperly sharpened iron.
This is me. I'm so bad at sharpening and I don't have the time or energy to git gud. So I gave up on hand planes.
Aside from not recommending it, you eliminated the possibility of buyer’s remorse that might have developed. I decided to get one because there are too many videos on setting up, tuning, and sharpening a traditional plane. I don’t need that. I need to get the work done. This looks like the fastest and easiest way to do it.
I fully expected the disposable blades to be exactly the problem here when you mentioned them. Disposability is a liability in most applications once the given tech has reached a robust state in wide adoption.
Another thing about accessing the adjustment lever: the original model is in the continental shape, and with that one it's easier to access.
Great video, Rex! Loved the demo with the hammer on the handle. Definitely stealing that at our next tradeshow!
I hate to say it now, but we used to carry a version of the 260 Evolution with a resharpenable blade a few years ago that we eventually discontinued, as we weren't selling many of them 😬
I've grossed several million dollars as a woodworker and have a hundred thousand dollars worth of really nice tools, and I've done a fair bit of fine woodworking but I've never "gotten" hand planes. It's just too high a learning curve for me to have ever taken the time to learn it. This is the first hand plane that I've ever been tempted to buy BECAUSE of the disposable blade. I do not like sharpening tools. Maybe it's because I am self taught and never had a mentor to teach me how to sharpen things, but this seems really cool to me. I have a few old stanley hand planes, and they've just never gotten used because they are too hard for me to tune. This, I might actually use from time to time.
I had a Rali 220. Wanted to get into hand planes but was intimidated by sharpening. When I got mine the sole was nowhere near flat. The blades that came with it wore out fast. And on top, the company that carried it was not helpful. (They no longer carry Rali products).
I agree. It's more for carpentry and job sites. Not fine wood working.
Sharpening is intimidating for every beginner but: 1. You'll have to sharpen something eventually. If it's not a hand plane iron, it will be a chisel or a gouge. 2. Once you get it, it's actually not that complicated (for straight/square irons at least).
It's just something you have to learn if you want to use hand tools, there's really no way around it.
@@kz.irudimen I started freehand sharpening with my inherited tools right away, watched some Rex and Paul Sellers. It was easy. That was about some years ago. Last week I started to freehand sharpen knives (Thank you OUTDOORS55), a bit trickier than plane irons, chisels, axes and whatnot, but still easy. Nowdays when I need to quickly sharpen my Stanley 4 or 5, it takes about 2-3minutes.
The plane restoration course is good. Highly recommended.
10:17 I went to RBX for the first time the other day, and I was like a kid in a candy shop. You should give them a call and see if they'd be up for you filming in there. Would be great to show the world that place! Plus, you could pick up some old thing, maybe a window, and restore it!
Disposable blade tools do make sense. If they have a battery
Traditional European style wooden hand planes have one extreme advantage btw.: they are very nice intermediate level woodworking exercises that turn small pieces of wood into actual tools 🥳
I am going to buy one
I could learn to like such a tool but you are right about the disposeable blades. I have an old aluminum bodied Craftsman with a 4 sided square replaceable blade.....but try finding those! (I only bought it because it was weird).
When I first got started with sharpening I was scared of it. I’m still not good at it but I would never consider disposable blades. I don’t even shave with disposable blades. It seems wasteful. I agree with you 100%
Thanks for video! That was super informative.
I see only one reason of using disposable blades: it's just marketing thing. You can't gain money continuously, doing more stable/durable/eternal materials and details.
Oh snap, they got Camera Two'd
I appreciate your defense of that hill. Thank you!
I wonder if Compass Rose Tool Works could make a jig for sharpening disposable plane blades. Even if you only got a few rounds out of each side of the blade it would make a big difference. Although there may not be enough blade there to afford the loss of material to sharpening. Just woodworking thoughts. 🤔
It's the razor business model, sell you a good cost effective tool then make the real money selling you over priced blades for the rest of your life
I agree with you. Ability to sharpen is essential for a hand tool. Wouldn't be enough redesign the bade holder to be made from tool steel and dispense with the proprietary blade ??
I'm experiencing deja vu. I could have sworn you reviewed this plane about two years ago.
Oh one thing you didn't mention price-wise - the replacement blades are about $5/each for the steel and over 30 (oof) for a carbide one. Not sure how long they last for, but I know I resharpen my plane irons pretty dang often. Heck, I can buy a really good new iron for $30.
Love my Rali plane. So easy to use and adjust. I wish they were easier to get in the US.
Call me a heretic but I really like the idea of disposable blades. OK, maybe not necessarily the fact that they’re disposable but the fact that I don’t have to sharpen them. Ever. I’d rather spend my time elsewhere.
"This construction has to be flat" only if they machine the sole after assembly. The tolerance on the locations of the holes and the clearance between the pins and holes leads to an inevitable mismatch between adjacent plates and between the independent areas in front and behind the mouth. That can only be corrected after it's all put together.
I've had a Rali rabbet plane for >20 years. While the blades are intended to be disposable, they are easily sharpened. You can use a jig like you might use for jointer or planer blades.
My only real complaint is that there are some rubber O-rings in the mechanism that have recently disintegrated. They're probably replaceable, but I haven't got around to it.
100% agree with you about a sharpenable blade. Come the apocalypse I need to be able to rely on my hand sharpened blades. Oh and there is probably some environmental argument there that is less important to me but may well swing it for others.
Love your work
it’s true that steel forging is one of the worst industries for the environment but this is such a small scale niche product there’s no way that aspect should be a deal breaker for someone
If you are going the environmental route, you are going to hate disposable razor blades for shaving.
This would actually work well for my dad. As he has gotten older, he has less interest in sharpening his tools, so he doesn't even use a non electric hand plane anymore. As he puts it im too old and only have so many hours left to make things and i dont want to waste it doing something i dont enjoy just so i can do the thing i do.
Highly specific example but maybe good for taking out to on-site finishing work where there’s no room or time for sharpening and you just need a fresh sharp edge that goes right in with little adjustment.
But it could also be good for us weekend “hybrid woodworkers” (penny to Marc) who just don’t use planes enough to get really good at adjusting and sharpening.
Learning how to properly sharpen tools can be an almost insurmountable task for some people they’ll never keep the tool straight enough flat enough true enough to have it work properly. Are you telling these people they shouldn’t be woodworkers? Why can’t they go into their basement or garage or workshop And have fun with wood and build things. I personally make heirloom projects that can be passed down from one generation to the next easily. I actually built a friend of mine and entertainment center. He can pass down for the next 300 years as long as it doesn’t get damaged otherwise, it’s a perfectly good well-made piece of furniture. And I use power tools mostly with just a few hand tools. So what’s wrong with this plane that would allow people to use another hand tool and make it easier for them. Not to mention you can spend a lot of time re-sharpening and realigning tools so What’s your time worth to you? It’s all about relaxing and enjoying the creative and artistic expressions in wood no matter what you choose to make. It also shouldn’t matter which tools you use. However, if you’re restoring antique furniture, please stick with hide glue. Yes, modern day glutes are stronger and last longer, but if you’re trying to keep the antique original, hide glue is the only way to go.