Lie-Nielsen No.103 block plane
Above: Small in stature, this beautifully made tool is a joy to use and highly versatile.
Review and photos: Damion Fauser
This latest offering from Lie-Nielsen is based on the Stanley No.103 and makes a useful addition to the stable of block planes from this maker. The heritage of the tool is immediately apparent, being almost identical in stature and style to the low-angle No.102-style block planes that have been available from Lie-Nielsen for many years.
At 5-1/4" (approx. 133mm) long it is the same length as the No.102 family, and the blade is also of the same dimensions, at 1-1/4" (32mm) wide and 1/8" (3.2mm) thick, making this tool diminutive enough to be effortless to hold and use, yet at 476 grams in mass it has a pleasing and substantial heft to it.
I really appreciate the thickness of the blade, as it basically eliminates chattering in the cut, being so substantial in thickness. The metallurgy of the blade is A2 tool steel hardened to Rockwell 60–62, cryogenically treated and double-tempered. This is identical to many blades from this maker, and I have had many years of exceptional use in terms of ease of sharpening and edge retention with this tool steel. The blade was ground nice and flat out of the box and only required a little effort to fully lap to a mirror polish for sharpening preparation.
Flat out of the box, the blade required only a little effort to achieve fine shavings.
Having used the No.102-style block planes for years, what was immediately apparent to me was the higher bed angle of this tool, with the moulded bronze cap iron sitting noticeably higher both visually and ergonomically. In terms of the specific geometry, the bed angle is 20°, and the blade comes with a bevel angle of 25°, making the cut angle a fairly standard 45° out of the box.
It’s worth noting that adding a fairly typical 5° micro-bevel to this blade will increase the effective cutting angle to 50°, making it extremely effective at reducing tear-out but requiring a little extra effort to push through the cut. To maintain an effective cutting angle of 45°, users will need to bear this in mind with the geometry of their sharpening.
Blade adjustment is simple, smooth and effective with very little backlash. The design of the adjustment mechanism, with a smooth nut on the threaded rod captive in a notch on the back of the blade, will be familiar to anyone who has used the No.102-style block planes. Aside from trying to avoid damaging the threaded rod, care should be taken to avoid over-tightening the spin wheel when securing the cap iron, as this can affect the lateral adjustment of the blade in the mouth of the tool.
This is a beautiful and extremely effective tool, which is not in the least bit surprising given the usual quality from Lie-Nielsen tooling, and I’m confident woodworkers of all levels will appreciate the versatility that this tool will offer. Available from Lie-Nielsen Australia for $309 which I consider to be a very fair price given the quality and useability of the tool.
Review tool supplied by author. Available from Lie-Nielsen Australia, see lienielsen.com.au
Damion Fauser is a Brisbane designer maker who teaches woodwork classes from his workshop. See www.damionfauser.com