Stanley 12-101 Small Trimming Plane
- Small, lightweight plane comes in handy for modeling, sculpture and other light work
- Nickel-plated, black-finish bottom assures durability
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Product Description
3-1/2″ Trimming Plane, Small, Light, For Modeling, Sculpture & Light Work, Nickel Plated Level, Black Finish Bottom, Cutter Width Is 1″, Carded…. More >>
Stanley 12-101 Small Trimming Plane
I bought this to plane down the top of a door so I could use an over-door hanger. Because I did not want to have to rehang the door, I worked on a ladder. It took awhile to get the height where I wanted it (took off almost 1/4″), but it did the job and the blade stayed sharp. I would recommend it for smaller jobs, though. It would be great for small woodworking projects and crafts. It is surprisingly small–you can close your hand around it. It may be difficult to keep a grip on if you have large hands. It does seem slightly overpriced, considering the size.
[...], I found this plane to be just dandy for occasional surface planing, but a bit small for my big mitts.
For comparison, I have also used the similar, but larger, Veritas Razor Blade Block Plane # 19P1600 ($21). It is a little bigger (2″W x 5″L x 2″H) than the Stanley (1″W x 3.25″L x 1″H), uses replaceable Rc60 razor blades ($2/pkg.), and, with three different blade positions, is a bit more versatile. Personally, I prefer the larger size & versatility of the Veritas model, but it is not as easy to tuck in your pocket as the Stanley.
FYI the razor blade in the Veritas plane can be installed in one of three different positions: (1) at mid-body for surface planing, like the Stanley; (2) at the toe for flush trimming or for use as a knife; and (3) at the heel for smoothing/scraping concave surfaces in thin material.
Unfortunately the Razor Blade Plane isn’t available at Amazon, but can be seen at Lee Valley Veritas:
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For trimming or finish work this little plane does the job I wanted. Not complicated or cumberson. It does the job I need at a reasonable price. Thanks Stanley and Amazon.
I’ve not seen a similarly sized plane at this price point. It’s got a throwaway price but you can still sharpen the blade on your sharpening stone.
I mainly use it for chamfering the edges of dimensional lumber that I cut with the table saw.
Because the mouth is wide I find that it works quite well given the simplistic design. My only complaint is that it can be difficult to align the blade after you adjust the depth.
Don’t let it’s small size (and price) fool ya. This is a serious little tool. Perfect size for those small trim pieces I sometimes use on my boxes. It does a superior job of trimming end grain on lids to get that perfect fit, and is more accurate than sanding sponges for breaking those sharp edges on the box. It works equally well on softwoods and hardwoods, even those super hard exotics. It takes a very good edge and keeps it quite awhile. I have made a small “shooting” jig for it, so I can shave off that silly little mm on mitered trim for a perfect fit, it really excells at this job. Though quite small it is easy to hold and control. I haven’t had any problems with the lock down mech. or movement of the blade once adjusted.
All things considered I am very pleased with this little guy and would recommend it to everyone.