Faithfull presents us with a low-cost collection of hand planes. In this blog, I look at the good bad and the ugly and what to look out for when choosing a cheaper than Stanley plane.
Handplanes for woodworking have and still are the staple tool for woodworkers. Today we don’t only participate in the woodworking pastime as a career choice but also it is considered a therapeutic hobby.
Handtools are cost-prohibitive?
The problem I see for the hobbyist is that acquiring a full array of good woodworking tools is an expensive venture.
Since the industrialisation of China and in particular India the costs have somewhat become manageable. Soba planes are made by Shobha industries in India. Planes such as the Grizzly or Bighorn.
https://www.shobha-india.com/wood-working-tools.html
Low-cost tools have become the norm and some aren’t bad.
A name that has been around for some time is Faithfull. I have owned various Faithfull tools for decades and they are still used by me in my workshop. I have to admit that these tools are very good considering the tiny price.
Thankfully the Faithfull brand supplies a range of low-cost hand planes. Some are good and some not so.
When I say good I don’t mean that they are ready straight out of the box. With some fettling, you will have in your possession a very useable tool that is comparable with the Stanley Bailey in its function.
Faithful have five planes that are available online and in some tool stores.
- Low angle Block plane
- No4 Smoother
- No5 Jack
- No6 Foreplane
- No7 Jointer
- No10 Shoulder plane (Carriage Plane)
- Rebate Plane
Low angle block plane
Good Points
- Price
Bad Points
- Pretty much everything
Conclusion
I am sorry to say I would avoid the Faithfull block plane. Be warned there is a channel on youtube promoting these planes but they are not interested in you developing your skills as a woodworker but only to take your money. Do a search for ‘faithfull block planes’ and the top listing is the one I speak of. This is my opinion but I think it is fair to say. If you are considering a block plane for shooting end grain then you would probably be just as well of with a No3 or No4 smoothing plane. I have made a video on the block plane angle compared to the smoother. Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
Faithfull No4 smoother
Good Points
- Price
- Good function
- Stanley pattern
- Can be converted to a scrub plane easily
Bad Points
- Needs some flattening of the sole
- Complete blade grind and hone
- Frog poorly positioned
- Brass components are plated
Conclusion
With some work, you will have a good useable plane, unlike the low angle plane. Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
Faithfull No5
Good Points
- Price
- Good function with a longer sole
- Stanley Bailey pattern
- The iron body is grey cast
Bad Points
- Needs some flattening of the sole on a glass or marble slab and abrasive paper.
- Complete blade grind and hone
- Frog poorly positioned as it was not parallel but this is just an adjustment
- Brass components are plated
Conclusion
I have to admit that when we consider the price of these tools you are getting a lot of tool for the money. With a little work on the sole and some tweaking, you will have a good tool. This is pretty much the same for all the Faithfull brand of planes. Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
Faithfull No7
Good Points
- Price is amazing for such a good tool
- The long jointer sole of the No7 is a dream to use
- Stanley Bailey pattern which is hard to beat
- Grey cast iron body
Bad Points
- Needs some flattening of the sole on a glass or marble slab and abrasive paper.
- Complete blade grind and hone
- The frog was ok after an adjustment
- Brass components are plated but this is just cosmetic
Conclusion
I still believe that an old Stanley Bailey No7 is a better option but it is becoming increasingly hard to find a good example. We woodworkers just collect them! But if you want a tool you can grow with this No7 Bailey copy is a great solution. I Believe the Faithfull is a tool that is worth pimping with some custom handles to suit your hands and a Plane iron upgrade. Pimping this Stanley Bailey will transform it into a tool that can compete for head to head in a shakedown. My video on the No7 jointer and why you need one. Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
Faithfull No10 Badger Shoulder Plane
Good Points
- Price is amazing for a tool that is becoming hard or just too expensive to find
- Open side to mouth to allow for edge to edge planning, which is ideal for rebating
- Stanley pattern
- quality grey cast iron body
Bad Points
- Complete blade grind and hone
- The frog was ok after an adjustment
- Brass components are plated but this is just cosmetic
- Like all badger rebate planes, the sole is weakened by the open mouth
Conclusion on the Faithfull No10 Rebate Plane
I own the Stanley No10 Badger Rebate plane and I use it regularly on door frame rebates after cutting them in the table saw. So I understand that these rebate planes are a great addition. Like all Faithfull planes, some work is needed but again you will end up with a good rebate plane. Speciality planes are not something you will usually find offered by low-cost manufacturers so considering that Faithfull is offering these tools it is a great thing. Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
Faithfull PLANE778 No.778 Rebate Plane
Good Points
- Not a plane I use much but when I do it is indispensable.
- Stanley pattern
- quality grey cast iron body
- Surprising quality for the money
Bad Points
- Complete blade grind and hone
Are you in the US? Buy on Amazon.com
My Conclusion on the Faithful range of hand planes
I don’t own any of these planes because I already have a good collection of vintage Stanleys that I have collected ever since I started woodworking in 1989. I have handled a few of these tools and I have mixed feelings about them. If you can afford to invest in Stanley Sweetheart or Veritas then that is your choice but otherwise, if you are prepared to put in a little work then the Faithfull range of Handplanes is a no-brainer. They are stupid cheap but just stay away from the block plane.
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I have written a blog about all the different planes in my blog ‘Hand Planes for Woodworking Explained’
I bought a Faithfull number 4 the sole was pretty flat and the cheeks were square. I honed the blade and it was brilliant, my only complaint was the finish on the wooden tote and knob, so I removed them and shaped them to fit my hands. I’ve been so impressed by the number 4 that when two silly cheap number 4’s came up on ebay, both practically new, I bought them both. A quick set up and they were good to go. I was able to compare these with 3 stanley number 4’s I have dating back to the 1950’s …….. I prefer the Faithfull. I then bought the number 5, new, which outperformed my stanley number 5, probably from the 1970’s as it had plastic handles and which I believe all the new Stanley’s now come fitted with. Next up for me is the Faithfull jointer (which I didn’t get for Christmas and come to think of it, neither did the plutonium 237 I was hoping for).
I have three Faithfull planes:
1) Low angle block plane: have to disagree on this one – I really like it and find that it works very well as long as the iron has a good edge;
2) No. 4 smoothing plane – again, I find this works really well, although I did have to put in some time to get it set up correctly. It would probably benefit from further tuning.
3) No. 7 jointer – the star of the show – mine was more-or-less perfect straight out of the box and needed only to be sharpened (30 degree micro-bevel) before putting to use. Performs extremely well.
Small point: you say the fittings are plated. They are not. They are solid brass. Tested with a magnet on all three of my planes. It’s a nice touch on a low-cost plane.
I currently own three Faithfull plane: the LA block plane; the no. 4 smoothing plane; and the no. 7 jointer. I am pleased with all of them … including, even, the block plane, which does an acceptable job, I think, as long as the blade is truly sharp. The no. 7 is quite outstanding imho and required virtually no attention out of the box apart from quickly honing the blade and rounding off sharp edges. The sole is absolutely flat, which is quite something for a big plane such as this. It takes lovely smooth continuous shavings even on very dense and figured wood.
Incidentally, I have applied the magnet test to the brass fittings on all three planes (all bought in the last couple of years). Everything that looks like brass is actually solid brass, it turns out. No plated parts whatsoever. That’s a nice touch.