Hey everyone! I'm planning to upgrade my shooting setup from my LAJ to a dedicated shooting plane and need your insights. I've seen some comparisons between Lie-Nielsen (LN) and Veritas (LV), but it always seems like it's down to personal preference. Most of my planes are LN, except for a couple of old Stanleys I've worked on. I don't want to be too stubborn about this choice, especially since I bought an LN router plane and later realized how much I loved the LV.
I made the decision to find a dedicated shooter after I accidentally jammed my finger using my LAJ on hard maple. With my larger hands, the LAJ can be challenging to use—I've thought about making a hotdog to help, but that hasn't happened yet. Even with a sharp blade, it struggles with the maple.
I've heard that LV planes are better suited for larger hands, but I'm a fan of the LN totes, so that's not a huge factor for me. Also, I know LV tends to be cheaper and offers more features, which will influence my decision as well.
So, I'm looking for your thoughts! How do these two perform on hard maple or similar end grain? Is the lower angle of the LV more advantageous for shooting compared to the LN's standard angle? Does the added weight of the LN actually make a difference? Let me know which plane you think would be more practical and help me enjoy using my shooting board again!
3 Answers
Higher secondary bevels usually help with tough woods and end grain, right? Honestly, if you've already got a good collection of LN planes, switching might not be necessary since the quality difference isn't huge between LN and Veritas. They both do the job well!
I’ve got the Veritas shooting plane and I love it! I find it great for hardwoods and it even doubles as a jointer for me since the tote can be adjusted. It makes working with tough woods like beech a breeze. The LN might be purely for shooting, but it doesn’t have the versatile features of the LV. Plus, let's be honest—the LV looks pretty cool too!
You might want to consider making a "tote tuner" for your LAJ, or just buy the Veritas. It's their least sci-fi looking model, plus it has an adjustable mouth and bevel-up blade, which makes it super versatile. The LN is iconic but it's really aimed at collectors, not to mention often over a grand!