I have a Hock carbon steel blade in my Record low angle block plane. I don't like it.

No problem with the material, hardness or the cut. The cut is a bit better than the stock blade. It also takes an edge a bit better and holds it a bit longer than the stock blade. Chatter may be a bit less but I never had chatter problems with the stock blade.

The gripe I have is how it fits the plane body. The problem is the larger size of the notches in the blade for depth adjustment.

Because the notches are larger than those in the stock blade, there's a good deal more slop in the adjustment.

The cap iron knob also tends to seat in the larger notches and adjusting the cut depth is always loosening up the cap iron. This also happens a bit with the stock blade and it's a minor inconvenience, but with the Hock blade the problem is in the pain in the a** category.

Because the cap iron knob tends to seat in the notches, cut depth adjustment is non linear, jerky and subject to change after it's set.

When I bought the blade (not direct from Hock) I asked if the larger notches would cause any adjustment problems and I was told they wouldn't.

I suppose I could grind down the cap iron knob to create a wider surface or put a shim under it in hopes that it wouldn't tend to seat in the notches, but I haven't tried it and at any rate I shouldn't have to modify my plane to fit a blade that is touted as a direct replacement.

Ken Blanton

: Has anyone here tried Hock blades? I just read his book- over 200
: pages about blades and sharpening. Certainly the guy knows his
: stuff. I think I'll give his blades a try. I am just wondering,
: however, is it worth spending nearly $80 on a blade and chipper
: for my existing plane, or should I just put it towards a more
: expensive plane altogether.

: Malcolm