The "Classic Smoother"

Hi Folks

Have some more info on the new plane for you at last. First up, the irons.......

As I mentioned previously, Karl Holtey is making the irons for these planes himself. He has sent me some information on these, which I shall reproduce below.

"HOLTEY BLADES

The A2 alloy used on all Holtey blades is of the highest specification (A2 does not mean a standard, it is just a designation).

The heat treatment has been designed for me by one of the finest metallurgists; it is very complex including triple tempering followed by a soak for considerable duration in liquid nitrogen. This needs to be carried out by a specialised heat treatment company.

These blades are then precisionally surface ground on all surfaces to the highest tool room standards. These blades will hold the finest edge and have considerable resistance to abrasions. This gives the blade a better performance for considerably longer than carbon steel.

These blades made for Philly Planes have been made exclusive for Phil Edwards and to the same exacting standard as all Holtey blades."

So there you go - the real deal! I've been giving these blades a thorough testing and I'm very impressed with them. Also, Karl surface grinds all the faces and edges - no other blade on the market is finished as well. I'm over the moon to be able to offer these irons in my plane.

I've put some photo's of a finished smoother here for you all to see - it's in Cocobolo, a very handsome timber. Sadly I'm affected quite badly by its dust, so this will probably be the last plane I make in Cocobolo. But I have some other exotic beauties in the pipeline - Partridge wood, Ebony and a timber called Ebano. I've not heard of this one before, but it is seriously dense - easily as heavy as Lignum, but a much lighter brown colour. I'm really looking forward to using it.

Again, if you're interested in more details on the "Classic Smoother" email me at holtey@phillyplanes.co.uk

Bye for now....

Philly