Norsk versjon av denne omtalen finner du her (link to Norwegian version).

I have been looking for a Lie-Nielsen No. 140 block plane for ages, but I haven’t been able to source one here in Norway. Stock has been severely limited due to Covid and production issues and whatnot. Folks – Covid was back in 2019-2020. One would think that the problems has been solved a long time ago? Perhaps my biggest problem is the fact that I live in Norway, and that the market is rather small comparably. The manufacturers must try to cover all the bases at once, and that is not an easy task! But perhaps my frustration is ill-founded here. Maybe the real issue is that there’s a lot more woodworkers out there now? That would not be an issue at all!

But then the Veritas skew block plane caught my attention. After looking more closely, I came to the conclusion that it is actually a better fit for my needs. chose right hand version, since I am right handed.

You can click on the images for a bigger version.

Having both versions would indeed make it possible to work with the grain in any situation – but that means double the investment and double the upkeep – and double the setup. Since the plane has a variable throat, I doubt I will ever really need both versions. I certainly cannot justify the expense. Veritas, if you want to persuade me otherwise I can provide my contact info…

There are a few reasons why I landed on the Veritas over the Lie-Nielsen. CAVEAT: Bear in mind that I haven’t used a LN 140 nor held one in my hands, so I am only going on images, videos and the information I have gathered. Here’s what I consider to be benefits on the Veritas over the Lie-Nielsen:

• Adjustable throat – twist the wooden knob and you can set the throat opening as needed. There’s a small set screw you can use to limit the movement of the throat plate so that it does not slam into the edge of the iron.
• Arguably a more solid body – there is an arch that bridges the open side. This seemed to me – and this was confirmed when I got the plane in my hands – that it would make the plane easier to hold. Again, I haven’t held a 140 yet, so this is speculation on my part. But it is an educated guess.
• Norris-style adjuster. Combined with three set screws, it seemed easier to adjust the iron laterally. The 140 has a simple in-out screw adjuster, and any adjustment of the iron must be done by other means. Perhaps not the most important aspect, really. Except perhaps the set screws on the Veritas – they allow me to “lock” the blade position when it is time to sharpen up. After sharpening, the blade should return to the exact same position. You can see the three holes on the side of the planes in the image above; one next to the exposed blade and two on the opposite side. A small flat head screw driver is needed to adjust the screws.
• Screw-in fence rod. The 140 relies on set screws galore. While that is a perfectly fine way to do it, having a rod that screws into the body means less chance of anything moving about should the set screw fail to engage properly, and there’s no chance stripping the head of the set screw over time.
• Better way of locking of the fence. A big, knurled knob locks the fence in place, which makes adjusting the fence a breeze. The 140 uses a set screw (thumb screw) for this, which is a perfectly fine solution, although not quite as elegant, user-wise.
• Tapped fence holder plus wooden fence. The 140 has a bronze fence. It has holes for screws, so it is possible to mount a wooden fence. From experience with my Lie-Nielsen No.66 beading tool, bronze can color light woods. I prefer a wooden fence, and the Veritas fence holder has tapped holes – no chance of screws accidentally poking through a thin, custom fence. Not that tapping the fence on the 140 would be a problem – but Veritas has done that for us already..

There is only one feature that the Lie-Nielsen 140 has over the Veritas: the removable side plate. By mounting the plate to the plane, it is transformed from an open-sided plane to a regular, but skewed, block plane. The blade on the Veritas is always exposed, with that very sharp corner as a slight hazard for zhe delicate paws of the woodworker.

So, let me unbox my new toy for ya and review the first impressions:

Inside the box: the plane, user manual, a bag with the fence and extra screws and the blade of one’s choosing.

Let’s look at the blade. I chose a PMV-11 blade because it is supposed to hold an edge longer. The drawback is that it is harder to sharpen, but have DMT diasharp diamond plates. They work fast enough!

“Caution: sharp”. Bold claim there, Veritas! Bold claim indeed! My verdict: yeah, but that label misses a few letters. It should read “CAUTION: SHARP(-ish)”. Here is the bevel of the blade out of the box:

And here is the same bevel after a run-in with my leather strop and chromium oxide polishing compound:

The back of the blade is dull and matte out of the box.

A few swipes on the strop, and the shine comes out:

The blade is dead flat and only needs a quick polish and honing on the strop, and it is ready to go. It would work good enough straight out of the box, but a quick honing brings it up to par.

Here’s the plane body. A plastic insert replaces the blade for shipping.

The lever cap has a F-clamp style “foot” that engages the blade. It rattles about, so it contacts the blade perfectly over a rather large area. This is a very good design choice, as it combines a big foot print with self-adjustability.

The overall fit and finish is excellent. I have some tools of lesser quality, such as my 3-in-1 shoulder plane. While that plane in an of itself is excellent, the fit and finish was found rather lacking. But then the price tag was a lot nicer, and the flaws were easily remedied.

It was nice to get a tool ready to go straight out of the box, and it upholds the fit and finish I have come to expect from the other tools I own from Veritas, such as the marking gauges, the planing stops and the sharpening jig.

On the next page, we’ll see the plane in use.