Lie Nielsen - What is going on?

[SpringCreek]

When I moved this past year my Lie Nielsen 9 1/2 didn't travel so well and I needed a new spin wheel for it. I reached out and like usual the service was exceptional and I had the spin wheel in a couple of days. While I was on the website I checked to see if by chance they were making any 9 1/2's again. Saw that wasn't the case, did a little reading about the models they were producing as "core" and "core 2", and was glad that I had purchased a 212 scraper a few years back since those were no longer being made either. On a whim I decided to look at eBay and see what was available there and was blown away by some of the prices. I watched a 60 1/2 sell for $355 and did a search and saw that 9 1/2's had sold for as much as $566! I love the Lie Nielsen planes I have, but am curious if their production has been curtailed to the point that prices in the secondary market far exceed those direct from the manufacturer? The 9 1/2's seemed excessive, but they are out of production. The 60 1/2, however, is a current model. Amazing what is happening. Hopefully Lie Nielsen will be able to meet the demand for their products shortly.

[3creeks]

I think LN took a lot of pride in the fact that they could bring back old classics for a long time, and once they started becoming more profitable their business model became more...well, business. Exhibit A is this plane here. It's even more niche than the 9 1/2 standard angle: https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/l ... -box-80668

I wish I'd bought one when I could, but they were around $350 even then. LN doesn't even make the diminutive #1 bench plane any longer, which is as niche as you can get. As far as the 9 1/2, I have one of those in both standard and with a rodmaker's groove and I don't use them regularly because they don't feel as good in my hand as the Stanley G-12's or the Veritas. But I'm afraid to get rid of them in case I change my mind because I'll never get them back! I have a grandchild on the way and by the time they're ready for college I'll sell them to some desperate rodmaker in a package deal to finance a semester or two.

[jim royston]

The retail price for the 60 1/2 remains $175 on LN site. That has been their price for years. Dropping from your product line items that just don't sell in numbers to support keeping them is not unique.

[Tommasini]

I wish I would have bought a #1 Bench Plane when they were available.

[jim royston]

WoodCraft has a #1 smoother in their catalog. I've toyed with it at their local store. Their WoodRiver hand planes are well made.
I bumped into a guy at a flea market recently who told me that his friend used to carry a Stanley#1 in his pocket to sharpen pencils, he never saw the guy use it for anything else than a pencil sharpener.

[Tommasini]

It's cute! That's why I like it.

[sanderson]

The retail price for the 60 1/2 remains $175 on LN site. That has been their price for years. Dropping from your product line items that just don't sell in numbers to support keeping them is not unique.

The fly rod groove 60 1/2 LN went that route.

[RaspberryPatch]

Agreed L-N Service is exceptional!

I do have a 9 1/2, but it was removed from their catalogue some time ago. It was there in 2010, but not in 2016 catalogue. Similar, they have removed the Bench 1 and 2 (was there in the 2016). The catalogue did show the option for the fly makers groove for the 60 1/2.

Now with nearly a dozen L-N planes - Block, Rabbet to Bench 3 to Joiner(7), plus Low-Angle, yes, they have received some of "me", but they have been good purchases. Yes, I have more than L-N including Records, LV, Wood(new and old).

L-V is a serious competitor, but when it gets to bench planes, I prefer the sides on L-N. For Block Planes, if looking new, LV standard plane is a good choice. If I did have one grip with L-V, for my sharpening I prefer the blade not to be taper.

I seen other things dropped, but yes maybe the saddest is the 9 1/2. And though the Number 1 would have been cool, I fine the Number 3 with a 9" bed as small as I want to go before I am changing steps. Right or wrong, I think I am losing the benefit of a bench plane, with the bed gets smaller than this.

I also recommend their chisels for fine work. I prefer an old Anton Berg, but usually a good Berg is 50+% more when you find it, so my goto (if I needed anything) would be LV chisels. Their sharpening jig is fine.

And they are a reseller of Auriou, which I also like, but there stock since the pandemic has been minimal. This as much as output of these tools is low out of the factory in France.

[jim royston]

I have used the Veritas (LV) standard block plane for 14 years. It is the nicest handtool that I have ever laid my hands on. It is a little wider than the 9 1/2, be it the original Stanleys and the Lie Nielsen. I prefer the width and the heft. The adjustment allows for minute blade depth changes. It is the bomb!

[3creeks]

I have used the Veritas (LV) standard block plane for 14 years. It is the nicest handtool that I have ever laid my hands on. It is a little wider than the 9 1/2, be it the original Stanleys and the Lie Nielsen. I prefer the width and the heft. The adjustment allows for minute blade depth changes. It is the bomb!

The depth adjustment on the Veritas is the finest I've ever seen.