Lie Nielsen Planes

[herb fellows]

Is there any place where you can get a discounted price on Lie Nielsen planes, other than taking a chance on ebay?
Are they worth the difference in price from Lee Valleyplanes?

[Uncle Cracker]

Lie-Nielsen sells as fast as they can make them, and keeps a tight dealer network, so you will rarely see new ones discounted (usually just when they update or discontinue a model). Whether they're worth the extra money is subjective (read YMMV), but I don't know anybody who has been disappointed with LN (or with LV, for that matter). It's a whole lot about the irons, anyway, and a Hock iron with a perfect edge is gonna make even a dime-store plane sing, although the heft, materials and design of a high-dollar plane are still worth considering.

[LinuxRandal]

When Woodcraft has had the 10% off sales, otherwise I only once saw a LN sale (Craftsman studio, one model very limited quantity).

The only LN plane I own so far, is a scrub plane. I haven't had any luck finding a Stanley or replacement blades for them (seen mostly #40 on the bay). LN is a 40 1/2 and I know where to buy the blades.

[newbie2wood]

Woodcraft recently had two or three of their Lie-Nielsen planes on sale. The planes are rarely discounted so you will have to keep your eyes opened.

The planes are worth the money if you are serious about woodworking. Like a Mercedes car, they are built solid, gorgeous to look at, and perfectly tuned.

Are they any better than the Lee Valley's planes, probably not. Lee Valley planes are also excellent planes. They are more sophisticated in terms of features. They are more like a BMW, modern and slick.

You can't go wrong with either brand. Its just a personal choice.
________
AVANDIA LAWSUIT

[frossm]

I've gotten most of my LN planes from woodcraft. I'm lucky to live near a store and when they have their sales you can get a good price. One thing to keep in mind is they can order anything from LN as well. Woodcraft charged me what their website says (less the discount).

For example, a few years back I had a 25% off of a single item. They didn't have the #7 in stock I wanted but they were able to order it for me at the discount (had to pay up front). Got the #7 for $00 plane for $300. And it's fantastic.

Also be really careful on ebay. It seems that they go for more money on ebay that you can buy new for some reason.....

As far as LV goes, I have their block plane, edge plane, and medium shoulder plane. All are excellent and probably my favorite planes. I've heard that the totes are oddly angled on the LV bench planes and you might want to feel one first. If I had access to both LN and LV to pick up, hold, and try, I'm not sure which I would go with, but as has been said, either is great.

Michael

[herb fellows]

Thanks to all for the answers and advice. It's actually not for me, but a woodworker friend in England where they are getting about $500 for the #5 bench plane. The way our economy is dying and theirs is flying, someone ought to be organizing woodworker buying trips to the USA!

If anyone else has an opinion, please don't feel this is closed. I'll take as much advice as I can get.

[foneman]

Fine tool journal

Fine Tool Journal has the best prices with free shipping.
http://www.finetoolj.com/ln/blockplanes.html

[mpauly]

Not a huge discount, but a slight savings can be had with Fine Tool Journal. They do ship overseas as well.

http://www.finetoolj.com/ln/home.html

[BrazosJake]

Craftsman Studio puts them on sale pretty regularly:

http://www.craftsmanstudio.com/

I purchased a Hock/Krenov plane iron for less then I could've gotten it straight from Hock.

[BrazosJake]

The way our economy is dying and theirs is flying, someone ought to be organizing woodworker buying trips to the USA!

Not to start a political debate but 1. "Dying" is false, it's going through a correction and 2. If their economy is so great, why does an LN costs $500?? In a word, TAXES!

Even in the current downturn, U.S. citizens (even the poor) enjoy a better standard of living that just about anywhere else.

[herb fellows]

As you say, not to start a debate, but I just found out yesterday that some stores in NYC are actually limiting the # of luxury items that a customer can purchase, because Europeans are coming here, buying things cheaper than they can at home, and reselling them back in old blighty and the rest of Europe for considerable profit.
Yes, their taxes are high, but I just paid $2200 for a root canal and a cap. My brother, who lives in England, had the same thing done 'for free' two years ago. The bottom line is there is no free lunch anywhere in the world. One way or the other, we all pay!
Also, remember that LN is an import for them; try to buy a burberry overcoat and you'll quickly be reminded of the significance of import costs, anywhere in the world. Things have ALWAYS been more expensive there, especially in England, and people there sometimes go to mainland Europe for cost reduction.
The only thing I meant is that the relative values of the currencies have changed considerably, pretty much the world over. I was able to buy a British Pound for $1.65 4 year ago, right now it's hovering around $2.05 These things do tend to be cyclical, but the dollar is so weak now as to make European travel, for instance, prohibitive for the average American, where people didn't give it a second thought 3-4 years ago. Any international airline will tell you the traffic now is not American, due to the prohibitive cost of things in Europe with our weak dollar.
I'm retired and on a fixed income and it scares the heck out of me.
As for your contention that this is a correction, I'm not an economist and I'll assume you aren't either. Let's BOTH hope you are correct. Thanks much for the info!

[herb fellows]

Thanks again to all, much appreciated info! I forwarded your advice to him and told him that this advice comes from the 'cream of the crop' of American woodworkers!

[Bruce Cohen]

With the exception of two "Made in England" Record planes (with a LV replacement irons) all my other planes are LV and I'm happer than a pig in $hit.

Bruce

[Anna]

I only have a couple of planes, well, okay, maybe five, and they're either Lee-Valley or Lie-Nielsen. Whenever I decide to buy a specific type of plane, I hit the forums and look up reviews for that particular plane.

Most of the time, the Lie-Nielsen is considered the Rolls Royce of planes (or whichever luxury car is appropriately analogous) no matter which type you buy. But there are a couple of planes where Lee Valley's design/version is thought to be superior (I think the jack plane is one of them). In the end, I think the LV ones are really pretty good for the price, and the LN gives you peace of mind when you don't have time to research much.

There really is something so satisfying in hefting a LN plane, though. The first plane I ever used, on loan from someone, was a LN shoulder plane. I bought one that same day.

[herb fellows]

I only have a couple of planes, well, okay, maybe five, and they're either Lee-Valley or Lie-Nielsen. Whenever I decide to buy a specific type of plane, I hit the forums and look up reviews for that particular plane.

Most of the time, the Lie-Nielsen is considered the Rolls Royce of planes (or whichever luxury car is appropriately analogous) no matter which type you buy. But there are a couple of planes where Lee Valley's design/version is thought to be superior (I think the jack plane is one of them). In the end, I think the LV ones are really pretty good for the price, and the LN gives you peace of mind when you don't have time to research much.

There really is something so satisfying in hefting a LN plane, though. The first plane I ever used, on loan from someone, was a LN shoulder plane. I bought one that same day.

You sound like you're in a confessional booth: 'I only have a COUPLE of planes, well, ok, maybe FIVE!' THAT JUST STRUCK ME AS SO FUNNY! lol!