Presumably you paid by paypal which would make getting a refund fairly simple even if not then ebay will sort it out. I wouldn't accept that it looks like a blatant rip off.
Yeah, now the 'new car smell' has worn off, I can see it for what it is. A cheap version in an old box. I did pay by paypal, and they've accepted a return, but I'm tempted to out them as a hooky practice.
That "paint" looks very much like powder coating, if it is then the tool is weeks old, rather than decades.
Bod
Yeah, I was wondering about that. The paint is layered on so thick, it's also covering a code of some sort (CF2?) above the No.788 stamp and I haven't seen that on any 'real' vintage pics. The record-planes site has a bunch of pics of this plane (among classier, older ones), but I don't think they are very picky about the gallery, or maybe this is really just a new, crappy version of the once-great brand.
It is quite a new version of this plane, but the box could have told you that. But, yeah, it should have been delivered with a blade.
A fine plane though, might need a little bit more work to get it finely tuned.
Did the ebay auction have clear pictures?
The box is definitely for a vintage unit, it's 70s/80s or thereabouts. The unit obviously isn't, though, now I've had a good look. No way it would survive 40 years without tarnishing. The build quality seems OK, but I can't shake this feeling the iron was low grade. It had a chip near the mouth and had this' fibrous' nature I associate with cheap metals. Can really describe it any better than that.
The problem with the word "vintage", is that it lacks precise definition, in contexts other than wine.
It is very subjective. We all know what it's intended meaning is, but exactly what is, and what isn't "vintage, is less clear.
Having said that, sellers do abuse and exaggerate it, to the point, these days, of rendering it meaningless.
I would pull them up on it, in this example.
It is clearly not vintage, so their item description is completely misleading, whether it was their intention or not.
Vocabulary exists for a reason. Just gaily throwing in random words because they look attractive has, unfortunately, become somewhat of a blight recently.
Return it & tell them why.
Hopefully they're decent people.
ATB,
Daniel
PS; You could also suggest to them that, while they're editing the word vintage out of the description, they could also make it clear that it is supplied without a blade
Yeah, it's a weasel word nowadays. Any year can be a good year, but unless they've had an uptick in production quality (newsflash: "quality declines since brand saturation") then the term isn't valid. I don't believe you can call something vintage unless it's an improvement on or equal to a previous vintage period, same goes for wines, too!
My first impression is 'Indian reproduction' recently manufactured el-cheapo not vintage quality...though the original is only about what??... 70 years old. That the person had three should have alerted you also (maybe 3 or 23 or 33? ex India rubbish) Actully the boxing itself suggests this is not from a reputable organisation. It would have been decent had the advertisement said 'no blade' but on the same score...you would have been wise to ask. There are some extremely high quality tool makers today... Stanley is no longer one...but this unit you bought is not one. Was it costly?...It still might do your job with a blade.
I suggest if you look at the Amazon advertisement (Irwin Record Rebate Plane Length 8-1/2-inch: Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement) you will find the tool supplied with a blade. Your vendor may be selling the blades separately or did an e cheapo deal on some without it, I suggest the former.
The advertisement ehn becomes ambiguous
Product description
Product Description
Record 778 rebate plane
The Record 778 rebate plane has two cutter positions, one for normal rebating work and a forward position for planing into corners and difficult positions.
The adjustable fence supplied can be used on either side of the plane to accurately control the size of the rebate.
Cast iron body with accurately ground base.
Five thread depth adjusting screw for precision control of shaving thickness.
Length 8.1/2in/215mm.
Cutter Width 1.1/2in/38mm.
Type. Rebate.
Set Contains:
1 x Rebate Plane
The cutter is not mentioned in "Set contains". To me this indicates deceptive practice. It see s possible your vendor bought from Amazon or India or somewhere, several planes to re-sell at profit on eBay.
I'm stronger in opinion than Jarno...if the blade was a part of the advertisement and if not excluded, is your entitlement. The photos from you are the eBay photos?...If the original photos showed a blade I'd send it back politely and explain the dilemma and error and if it escalates make as much fuss with eBay as it needs to get it retracted. Don't wait….or it will be too late...demand the recovery now....
I also have no idea why anyone is talking about 'tungsten' blades...handplane blades are in all my experience with old blades, high carbon steel. Today?...who knows...popout rubbish from India isn't going to have fine blades and I wouldn't even contemplate a 'tungsten' handplane blade..
If the blade was not shown in eBay photos or listed in'what you get' you can only protest the tool is incomplete. I do not agree you cannot/will not find an original blade but if only a recently made one it will likely be a mass production quality...likely to need to often be sharpened.
Record 'of old' made good tools...to me this is just junk by comparison and looking at the thing. You can see more on Record No. 778 Duplex Rabbet & Filletster Plane
Lie Nielsen...top tool makers did supply the blades so somemust be 'around' Lie-Nielsen Blade for Record 778 Rabbet Plane. "Tooled up" UK also sell the blades (be quick?) at 17 pounds and 95 pende sterling Record Replacement Iron for 778 Plane | Spare Irons
Now you have all the info to make a decision...but do not procrastinate...decide and act.
Note that the fillister is not an old tool...designed in 1950's but there are other ways of skinning the cat for the same outcome using older tools. I you get nowhere or let it drag on...do you have a use for it? If so use it until it breaks.
Yeah, I thought that "we have 3 brand new unopened boxes and they are all the same and none have blades" was really fishy. I suggested they'd been ripped off.
The earlier versions of the 778 were marked as tungsten blades on the packaging. You can see a few of them on the record-planes.com page for the 778. Adding Tn seems like it keeps the edge better.
Wow, I didn't know LN had made some 778 blades. I'd like to get my hands on one, but guess they'd be around $50 or more. I found quite a few places selling those ones from the TooledUp link, but they look cheap and there's no specification on the steel (on any site!), so I'm assuming it's rubbish. There's only ever 1 pic, never any specs and they all use the same, unhelpful description. Too many smells for me. Also, you can find the exact same one (according to identical pic) for £9, so that site is expensive.
I've already started the return process, just boxing it back up. It cost me £75 and I know I can get the one from Amazon, which looks to me like the same one for £85 and that has a blade. I wouldn't buy it, because I can't be pineappled to sharpen a blade every 50 feet.
Here's the link to the ebay ad, btw. Now I'm looking at it, it's obviously they tried to hide the fact it wasn't the same plane and that it was missing the blade. The lady has been really friendly and polite, so either I'm a cynical git or this is how they keep their 100% rating. I'm going with the latter.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-...E1rhQStBoo%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc
I've included another pic of the box and plane before I send it.