Faithfull no5 jack plane review

[dynax]

First impressions, well packaged, the handles are wood and although finished? are dull in appearance compared to the stock photos,

After cleaning the plane to remove the oil coating ( just wiped with a rag at this stage), it is a clean casting and nicely finished ( didn't pay too much attention to the paint finish), it has a good weight but not too heavy to use for any length of time.
So down to business, straight from the box adjusted the blade and started on some softwood ( no hardwood to hand at the moment), and took shavings immediately,

so far so good, took shavings of various thickness, and was able to get one just about fine enough to see through( bear in mind this is without any honing and straight from the grinding angle)

The sole would be within tolerance for a new tool( assuming here)

and across the width

The front handle ( on the no4 mainly) had reports of the screw being proud on the top, this seems to have been resolved

and now sits just below the top,

There is also frog adjustment

Also what i find a nice touch is the grinding/sharpening angle engraved on the chip breaker

So until further testing once it has been fettled, for a budget plane to perform from the box without any treatment i would say it has the potential to be a fine tool, and i would say it would need very little fettling to be able to compete with the bigger branded names.

 

[Trafalgar]

I imagine that it would work fine as a jack plane with only a honing based on the photos and the narrative you've posted. Helluva deal!

 

[dynax]

After a bit of fettling, flattened sole but not much spent about 5 mins on some 180 grit paper, iron got a quick hone on the oilstone nothing fancy, chip breaker same quick flatten, and we have this,

With that said, i would think that these results would indicate that it is possible to have a more than capable tool that would give the others a good run for their money.
i would give this a very strong 8/10.

 

[Trafalgar]

Cleared for takeoff and at an extraordinary price point...

 

[G S Haydon]

As a jack plane, it'll be just fine!

 

[nabs]

it could do fine work too, surely? If it is flattish, and the adjuster works, what else could be wrong with it?

 

[Trafalgar]

Based on the see-thru shaving it could!

 

[AndyT]

Thanks dynax for this and your other Faithfull reviews. I'll keep the sticky of hand tool reviews updated with links to them all.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Remarkably positive on the whole I have to say. I thought it possible that Faithfull had upped their quality control, then I quickly read your reviews of the No3 and No4 planes and realised they haven't, ha, ha. Slainte.

 

[powertools]

I wouldn't expect tools at this price to meet the expectations of professional furniture makers but for most of us they are perfectly acceptable.

 

[whatknot]

What was the price? did I miss mention of it ?

 

[Cheshirechappie]

What was the price? did I miss mention of it ?

To be fair, it's on another thread. See 'Faithfull planes' further down the page; this was the introduction, and there are separate threads reviewing (so far) three different sizes of Faithfull bench plane, of which this thread is one.

 

[custard]

ha, ha.

Ooof!

#-o

And there's another couple of sales of your new book lost. Richard, if the publisher asks you to do a publicity tour it's probably best to decline, too much contact with your buying public and the entire print run might end up remaindered!

 

[Sgian Dubh]

And there's another couple of sales of your new book lost. Richard, if the publisher asks you to do a publicity tour it's probably best to decline, too much contact with your buying public and the entire print run might end up remaindered!

Got to admit, I really don't understand that. I'm not sure how relating some real experience of my own for the reliability of Faithfull planes to be of generally poor quality might affect book sales. It has to be admitted that at the price point the company aims its products at perhaps the stars align once in while and they create a tool that's pretty good, and even sometimes usable effectively almost straight of the box - rare, but possible, ha, ha. Slainte.

 

[custard]

Got to admit, I really don't understand that...ha ha

Let me help.

A sweet guy shares his experience and you pineapple on his chips, that's how it came across to me, and judging from the people who came forward to lend support to the OP I don't think I'm alone.

Now that's all as maybe, but it's the timing that seems weird. This forum represents a not insignificant share of the potential market for your new book, so choosing this particular juncture to be Mr Misery, isn't that a bit of an own goal?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

A sweet guy shares his experience and you pineapple on his chips, that's how it came across to me, and judging from the people who came forward to lend support to the OP I don't think I'm alone.

Now that's all as maybe, but it's the timing that seems weird. This forum represents a not insignificant share of the potential market for your new book, so choosing this particular juncture to be Mr Misery, isn't that a bit of an own goal?

An own goal? I've no idea. I related my several experiences of the brand of tools in question, admittedly without going into details. I thought it was honest with a bit of wryness included (the ha, ha thing). Honesty or Mr Misery? I guess it depends how someone else chooses to interpret my comments. Slainte.

 

[dynax]

Thanks to all for your comments, but can we please keep it civil, having been in the market for some hand planes over several months i have been looking and searching for things in my budget, so far as to say that when viewing reviews the only ones for the Faithfull ones are quite old, so it was on that assumption that i purchased them to see if they have improved, but all i can give is my first hand experience of them at this present time, i have not had any previous experience of the them, it does seem a bit hit and miss with regards the quality from tool to tool in general, these are a budget tool and i suspect that a high end furniture maker would not entertain them, but at the same time for a jobbing joiner on a building site would be more than acceptable, i would rather take one of these onto a site than a £300+ clifton, it is horses for courses, and what you can afford,cheers.

 

[Trafalgar]

I have a couple of old Stanleys from the 1960s that I take to job sites. I spray painted them hot pink. I'll post a picture sometime. They're not going anywhere. Hot pink anything is kryptonite to a tool thief.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:lol: I used to have pink tool box for the same reason.

 

[Vann]

:lol: I used to have pink tool box for the same reason.

Wot, until someone half-inched it?

Cheers, Vann.