I recently bought a Stanley Bailey No 4 plane that has 'Bailey' and 'No 4' stamped on the body. However, the blade is marked 'Mohawk'. I'm curious if I've got a real Bailey that someone replaced the blade on. I paid just $25 for it, so I feel okay about the price, but I want to know what to expect in terms of performance. Will this blade hold its sharpness?
2 Answers
The Mohawk Shelburnes were actually the budget model from Millers Falls, kind of like Stanley's Handyman line. The blade will get sharp, but don't expect it to hold the edge for a long time since the steel is fairly soft. It's definitely usable, but keep your eyes peeled for a cheap Bailey plane you can scavenge a better blade from!
You might also want to consider getting a replacement blade made from modern steel. Old Stanley blades work fine, but they're thinner and don’t hold an edge as well. I recommend looking into Hock blades—they're thicker and stay sharp longer. Plus, learning to sharpen by hand is a breeze, and it only takes a couple minutes to get a good edge!
Solid advice! I sharpen my kitchen knives using videos from Japanese Knife Imports, and it's super easy once you get the hang of it. I plan to learn the same technique for my plane.
Thanks for the quick reply! I’ll definitely keep that in mind.