It simply depends on what you are willing to spend. I prefer the Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane with an adjustable mouth. The price on the other hand is steep. A good compromise is the Record low angle block plane. It has a better support closer to the cutting edge than the Stanley block plane. The better the support the less chatter you get when planing. This is mainly important for hard woods. Since you deal mainly with soft woods for the kayak, I think that you won't find significant differences between the Stanley and Record plane. I still would vote for the Record plane if you are looking for a reasonable priced block plane.

Andreas

Hi

: my winter project is to build a strip plank kayak. I have most of the
: necessary tools and space, but I need a block plane. I have found a couple
: of internet tool suppliers that can supply either a low angle or standard
: angle block plane; is one better than the other for working on kayaks?

: hope this is not too daft a question

: thanks Patrick