First impressions of the Clifton block plane

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matthewwh

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We received our first delivery of Clifton block planes yesterday, so I thought I'd share some photos and initial impressions.

As you can see it's a very handsome looking thing indeed, with very clean and elegant flowing lines.



The next thing you notice is the mass, at nearly 1kg (just over 2lb) this plane has quite a presence. That said, I'm used to using a narrower 60-1/2 and this is a 9-1/2, so that may be why it's so noticeable to me. It feels wonderfully planted on a big endgrain surface, and if you have larger hands prepare to be enraptured!



The body is vacuum cast bronze, a process where the mould is evacuated of air and the liquid metal is literally sucked in. It's a comparatively expensive way of going about it, but every last detail is captured perfectly with no voids, so they gain a bit back by having nothing to reject when the castings are ring tested.

The bodies are individually machined one at a time (mention gang milling at Clifton and the room goes silent) and carefully hand finished. This is an important point, a Clifton is very much a handcrafted object, you will find minor asymmetries, hand tooling marks and no two are exactly identical, they are made, by one craftsman for another, rather than produced.



The blade is beautifully thick and I noticed on the wholesale price list that they are listed as '25 degrees', read into that what you will...! I absolutely love the way they have incorporated the adjuster at the back and the fact that they have included the bumps in the sides of the bed to align the blade and provide a fulcrum for the adjustment - this is exactly the way Thomas Norris intended this adjustment system to be used.



Some people will squeak and hurrumph about the price being nearly the same as a No.4 smoother, viewed another way you might draw the conclusion that the bench planes are 'still remarkably cheap at the moment'. In either case, I'm glad that Clifton are sticking to their guns, concentrating on making handmade tools beautifully, and letting everyone else respond to them.

Great job Clifton, this one really hits the mark!
 
Hi Matthew,

Nice review. However, I think describing it as a 9 1/2 is a bit misleading as block planes designated as 9 1/2 usually have a higher bed angle of 20 degrees. The Clifton is a low angle plane with a 12 degree bed angle.

Cheers :wink:

Paul
 
Beautiful plane, excellent overall design. I like the access to the blade adjuster. It looks as if it will be comfortable to hold. Negatives for me would be the weight (I want a block planes to be used one-handed), and the width (I prefer the narrower 60 1/2 size), but these are personal factors and not criticism of the design, per se.

Regards from Perth

Derek
 
£250 for the adjustable mouth version.

As they said on facebook
It's premium product not Chinese import. We pay staff and taxes in this country!

Fair points but still flippin expensive.
 
What a beautiful plane!

I like the fact it's of a large weight and size, my hands are pretty big (carney hands, as one of my friends delicately puts it) so I find some of the smaller block planes a bit fiddly.
 
Looks really good Matthew. Nice to see Clifton with a plan now, for years they were 'lost at sea' against LN and Veritas. If I didn't have the LN I'd probably buy one of these. I know it's a lot (about double the LN) but the block plane is an absolute core tool and this is very likely a lifetime plus of excellence. Looks right nice too.
 
$400 USD? I have considerable expendable income, but I would balk at spending that amount (same as I stay away from Bridge City and many US "boutique" tools). The plane is simply beautiful, but the cherry, or walnut I work won't know the difference the Clifton or the old 60-1/2 or my LN 102 I use.
 
With the very greatest respect, I think you're missing the point Tony.

A Clifton isn't just another tool for getting the job done. It's a special treat to yourself for completing that amazing commission, or passing a tough exam. Something made with love and care by another craftsman just for you, the person who spends their life making with love and care for others.

When you start bringing things with this handmade quality into your life and understand the way that they influence your work, you begin to feed the hand that feeds you. The crafts are a wonderful circle of mutual respect, and have been since the dawn of time, they draw energy from each other and pass it on.

Imagine making a beautiful table for a baker, who will knead his dough on it every morning to feed people every day for the rest of his working life. You could knock something together with chipboard that would suffice, or you could put in that little bit of extra effort, charge a little bit more, use the skills that were gifted to you when trained, and build him a fantastic hand joined oak table with breadboard ends that would outlast him by a couple of hundred years.

You don't just own a Clifton, you share your life with it.
 
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