Low angle vs standard angle block plane

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JohnPW

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Low angle block plane: 12 degree bed angle + 25 blade bevel = 37 effective pitch.

Standard angle block plane: 20 degree bed angle + 25 blade bevel = 45 effective pitch.

If I put a 33 degree bevel blade on the low angle plane: 12 degree bed angle + 33 blade bevel = 45 effective pitch, would it perform the same as the standard angle plane?

The plane would be used as a small normal plane to work on small pieces of wood, not just for one handed trimming, chamfers etc.
 
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you can choose tearout control by total angle, and it'll work like any other single iron plane, more or less.

If you're shooting for 45 degrees total, a low angle plane will give you a stronger bevel than a standard 20 degree plane (33 bevel fares much better if the surface left matters at all).

That said, if 33+20 is 53 on a standard angle plane, unless you're removing a great deal of material, it's not going to matter much (and the standard pitch plane may be nicer to use because it forces a little higher of an angle - giving you some forgiveness if you're beveling or chamfering long edges with it (where a lower pitch may pick up splinters/tearout, even with the mouth mostly closed - tearout always screws up the cut more ways than one).
 
I'm quite happy with my standard angle block plane. They are cheap to pick up secondhand as the low angle is very desirable these days.

The blade is so narrow in a block plane and the cuts made tend to be so light that I don't notice much difference.

David makes a decent point on possibly how edge life could be better in a low angle blade with a high honing angle.
 
I only use a standard angle block plane, though. A bench plane is better for end grain, and I keep the block plane set up around 30 degrees plus buff (which makes the cheese soft irons hold up well and stops denting). I'd rather have a 9 1/2 than a labp.
 
They feel different in the hand. This may or may not be important to you. It's the decider for some.
 
I like my low angle one, but only because of the versatility. I've got a standard angle one that I picked up for next to nothing in a junk shop, but the low angle one is the one I usually reach for. I bought a couple of spare blades for it and have a 25° one, a 38° one and a 50° one, giving a working angle of 37°, 50° and 62° respectively. It's quick to swap blades out depending on what I'm doing.

I suspect that versatility would be more useful on a jack plane than a block plane, but I do find myself using the block plane on end grain quite a bit. Now if only low angle jack planes weren't like rocking-horse droppings...
 
With a low angle design you normally get an adjustable mouth which is helpful as an aid to controlling tearout - I don't think this feature is available on most standard angle block planes. Also, the feel is different - as said above.
 
The stanley 18 and 9 1/2 have an adjustable mouth - 20 degree bed.

Low angle 15 and 60 1/2 planes have an adjustable mouth

Not sure about the bed angle of all of the 110s and 220s and such that don't have an adjustable mouth.
 
I use both the low and standard angle block planes, the low angle one mainly for end grain on small pieces. I have got a Stanley 9 1/2 and 60 1/2 planes.
I agree with Dr AI: if I wanted only one plane, I would choose a low angle plane with a couple of blades in order to obtain different cutting angles.
Ciao
Giuliano 😀
 
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The plane would be used as a small normal plane to work on small pieces of wood, not just for one handed trimming, chamfers etc.
Can be done of course but a block is not easy to use two handed like a normal plane. They are designed to fit the palm with one finger on the button. Better off with a 3 perhaps. They are very nice to use
 
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