Canadian Woodworking Magazine eNewsletter

A first impression might be that this new plane is just a 'novelty' item. Not so. The "Little Victor" is based on the venerable #51 plane made in 1877 by Leonard Bailey - the original Little Victor. You can buy the Little Victor from Lee Valley for just over $40, or an original Bailey for several hundred dollars, assuming you can find one in good working condition.

The body of the Little Victor is cast steel, with the bed angle set at 45°. The sole is seriously flat, honed to a tolerance of ± .0002". You don't need to 'fine tune' the sole at all.

The blade is O1 steel, which makes for quicker and easier honing than A2 steel, and has a 30° bevel. Unlike the sole, the blade could do with a little manicure - a bit of honing on a fine grit stone before first use.

The blade is held in place by means of a screw and a cogwheel. This set-up works well. You'll notice that after using the place a few times the head of the screw will deform slightly. This won't affect the performance of the plane.

Like many hand tools, personal preference will dictate how you use the tool. We found that cradling the plane in the hand worked best when chamfering edges, which is likely to be the main use of this plane.

For planning flat surfaces you need to apply a fair amount of downward pressure, as the plane is so light. Placing a finger in the front recess seems to work well for this. Either way, with a bit of experimentation you'll find the technique best suited for you.

To adjust the blade you set the plane on a flat surface, slip in the blade, and then tighten the cogwheel. Don't fully tighten the wheel, as you will need to fine tune the protrusion and exposure of the blade with a mallet (and yes, a small mallet). We found that a fair amount of tinkering was required to get that 'just perfect' adjustment. But once set, the plane works remarkably well.

This plane won't replace your Veritas standard or low angle block plane, but it will certainly complement either. And at just under 5 oz, you can easily carry this plane about in shirt or pants pocket.

We gave the Little Victor 4 out of 5. Easier blade adjustment would have made this a perfect 5.

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Specifications:

Little Victor Plane
$42.50
Canadian Made
Lee Valley Tools