I've been considering investing in the Lie Nielsen rabbet block plane for a while now, especially since it's praised for its quality. However, I recently received a bench dog version that lacks the cross-grain nicker blades. Do I really need the nickers, or is the plane itself just that much better? I already have a 78 fillister plane, but I've found aligning the blade with the spur a hassle. Lately, I just score my line with a knife and leave it retracted while making the rabbet. What are your thoughts on the necessity of the nickers?
1 Answer
Honestly, I don’t use the nickers on mine much. I’ve found that it's tricky to judge square compared to a shoulder plane. Most times, I just leave the nickers flat and score the cuts with a marking knife. They can be more of a nuisance than anything else!
That’s interesting! I know someone who swears by their old model. I think I’ll stick to the marking knife for scoring too; it seems a cleaner method for me.