I must confess that we have been supplying the new version for a while now but I have resisted the temptation to mention it until we had more stock on the way - sack cloth and ashes for me later! Although we only have a small number on hand at present, rest assured there will be more arriving in time for Christmas.
So what's new?
First of all the position of the handle, on the newer version (at the front) the handle is tucked up much closer to the frog. Changing this is no small undertaking as it means making a whole new set of patterns that the plane bodies are cast from. The new position makes it easier to reach the depth adjuster on the back of the frog without altering your grip.
Personally I subscribe to the 'have the plane set correctly then approach the workpiece' school of thought so it has never really bothered me, but I know there are those who prefer to make depth of cut adjustments 'on the fly'.
The handle itself is now a little bit taller giving more room for the fingers, a little bit chunkier and with a more pronounced forward lean.
The No.6 remains my favourite size of bench plane, long enough to achieve accurately flat edges up to 6 feet, broad enough to tackle large surfaces and yet still of a manageable size to use for extended periods or with a shooting board.
Our scheme to encourage customers to get their Christmas orders in early and therefore spread our Christmas workload is well and truly underway.
The team was working like a well oiled machine this morning as we picked, checked, packed and shipped three times as many orders as we normally would on a Monday.
As well as free shipping, we have a host of special offers on including selected Clifton and Quangsheng planes, Narex and Ashley Iles chisel sets and BTI Systainers and Accessories
If you want to get a piece of the action there are no codes to enter, just choose the free shipping option at the checkout - job done!
It will be tricky, but time permitting, I will also try to get a proper informative blog post ready for next week.