I'm a furniture maker working primarily for Catholic churches, and I've recently started using a Luban plane. Before this, I mainly used kanna planes, so I don't have much experience with Western hand planes. I own a Veritas, ECE, and the Luban, and I'm surprisingly impressed by the quality of the Luban, especially for $200 with free shipping. However, I'm finding the T10 blade steel on the Luban difficult to sharpen, despite its ability to hold an edge well. The ECE blade is similar but sharpens more smoothly for me. I'm curious about trying some Zen-Wu plane blades, specifically the ZW-V0, Magnacut, and ZW-V2 models. What experiences do you all have with these steels? Any recommendations or insights would be greatly appreciated!
5 Answers
Could you elaborate on what aspects of sharpening the Luban blade you find frustrating? I'd like to help if I can!
I haven't used Zen-Wu or Magnacut blades, but I can vouch for my Lie-Nielsen A2 and PMV-11 blades—they're fantastic! PMV-11 sharpens nicely and performs really well on wood. If you stick with known brands like these, you're likely to be satisfied!
I'm with you on loving PM-V11 blades. They're way easier to sharpen compared to A2s I have from Lie-Nielsen. Both types cut great, but if you're looking for ease of sharpening combined with performance, PM-V11 can't be beaten in my experience!
I've heard mixed reviews about Zen-Wu blades since they don't disclose the type of steel used. Some folks online seem to like them a lot, but real expertise is hard to come by. The ZW-V2 is said to be CPM steel, and the ZW-V0 might just be a standard version. As for Magnacut, I've tried a blade made from that steel and it holds a good edge, though it does chip more easily than simpler carbon steels. My advice? You might want to stick with what you know right now and maybe tweak your sharpening setup with a strop or diamond paste to make your current blades easier to work with. On the whole, Hock O1 is a solid choice for new blades—easy to sharpen and keeps a good edge! What sharpening tools are you using currently? That could affect what you can successfully sharpen without too much hassle.
Honestly, if you feel like spending money is a hobby, go for the Magnacut and Zen-Wu blades. Some people just enjoy trying out different tools, and if that's you, I'd say dive in. That said, T10 steel is straightforward and should sharpen easily—probably easier than ECE blades. PM-V11 is a different story; it can be more time-consuming to sharpen compared to its performance. Also, isn’t it a bit odd that you're using Japanese planes in church woodworking? Just a thought! I personally love my PM-V11 blades, though I don't have experience with Zen-Wu either.