I recently got my hands on a vintage Record No. 4 plane from around 1956, but I've been having a tough time sharpening the iron. It feels harder than what I'm used to, and no matter how carefully I sharpen it, I just can't get a clean edge like I do with my Juuma or my old Stanley from the early '30s. After using a 1000 grit diamond plate, it doesn't feel sharp at all until I use green paste on the strop, which is more effort than expected. I'm not noticing any burrs forming, and it barely cuts paper. Is there something I'm missing or is there specific info I should know about the tungsten-vanadium steel used in Record planes?
2 Answers
You're likely dealing with a sub-par iron here. Many Record irons from that era aren't known for their hardness and can feel soft while sharpening. The tungsten and vanadium additions to the steel shouldn't be a major factor—they're just common elements. In fact, most of my Record irons felt softer than their competition, like Stanley's. If it’s barely cutting paper, that might mean the edge isn't right, possibly chipping at a microscopic level or just lacking the necessary hardness to hold a proper edge. I’d set this one aside for now and try another if possible.
Thanks for the insights! I’ve seen some mixed results with these vintage irons.
Honestly, it sounds like you might just have a dud iron on your hands. If you can, try swapping it out for another Record or a different brand altogether. Sometimes these older models can surprise you, but if it’s consistently underperforming, it might not be worth the hassle anymore.
That's interesting! I had a few Stanley irons with tungsten, and they seemed to sharpen better. Makes sense that Record may have gone for a softer iron for market reasons. If you're mostly working with softwoods, maybe a softer iron isn't so bad. Good to know!