27/12/2021
Okay. Credit where it's due. THIS model from THIS company is a reasonably-high-quality tool. I was given a similar product - also a Chinese offering, by a friend to review (see pics 2,3,4, on right each time) a while ago. It was complete garbage. There's no name on it (not that I fault them for that. I wouldn't take credit/blame for it either), or I'd warn you off.
Then, a few weeks ago, this Hongdui was recommended to me. To be clear: I bought this with my own money, no sponsorship, no pressure. And yanno? I'd put it up there with anything Stanley's put out in the last couple decades.
Compare the two units below (pic 2, 3). Now, ignoring the fact the Hongdui lacks a spirit level (which are A. Utterly worthless for this type of tool, and B. In this case about 15° crooked anyway [pic 4]. Like my Sjobergs bench is that outta kilter. Riiiiight), you can see plainly that they replaced that uselessness with some quality-engineered UTILITY.
I ran both tools through 24 board feet of Padauk, until I achieved a 1/4" chamfer, as well as a 1/4" round over (for the Hongdui. generico is straight edge only), call it 5 rounds for the POS, and, since I did both on the Hongdui, 10 rounds. That's 240 board feet vs 120. Examine pic 3. The Hongdui is on the left: not a scratch. The "other guy" looks mauled.
The indexable carbide cutter on the Hongdui (which it comes with ONBOARD STORAGE for the INCLUDED REPLACEMENTS for) is still going strong. I had to take apart the other halfway through to resharpen it. That's right: "re-". I STARTED with fully shaping, lapping, honing, and stropping it. On Trend diamond plates and finishing with Sharpton glass, then stripping on a Worksharp. I believe it's a Rockwell 8? Maybe 9? I know I have talc that holds an edge better.
In short: if you decide you simply must have a bevel plane, buy the Hongdui (unless you wanna pay for shipping, in which case I'll GIVE you the paperweight). It was engineered and built by someone with know how.
Okay. Credit where it's due. THIS model from THIS company is a reasonably-high-quality tool. I was given a similar product - also a Chinese offering, by a friend to review (see pics 2,3,4, on right each time) a while ago. It was complete garbage. There's no name on it (not that I fault them for that. I wouldn't take credit/blame for it either), or I'd warn you off.
Then, a few weeks ago, this Hongdui was recommended to me. To be clear: I bought this with my own money, no sponsorship, no pressure. And yanno? I'd put it up there with anything Stanley's put out in the last couple decades.
Compare the two units below (pic 2, 3). Now, ignoring the fact the Hongdui lacks a spirit level (which are A. Utterly worthless for this type of tool, and B. In this case about 15° crooked anyway [pic 4]. Like my Sjobergs bench is that outta kilter. Riiiiight), you can see plainly that they replaced that uselessness with some quality-engineered UTILITY.
I ran both tools through 24 board feet of Padauk, until I achieved a 1/4" chamfer, as well as a 1/4" round over (for the Hongdui. generico is straight edge only), call it 5 rounds for the POS, and, since I did both on the Hongdui, 10 rounds. That's 240 board feet vs 120. Examine pic 3. The Hongdui is on the left: not a scratch. The "other guy" looks mauled.
The indexable carbide cutter on the Hongdui (which it comes with ONBOARD STORAGE for the INCLUDED REPLACEMENTS for) is still going strong. I had to take apart the other halfway through to resharpen it. That's right: "re-". I STARTED with fully shaping, lapping, honing, and stropping it. On Trend diamond plates and finishing with Sharpton glass, then stripping on a Worksharp. I believe it's a Rockwell 8? Maybe 9? I know I have talc that holds an edge better.
In short: if you decide you simply must have a bevel plane, buy the Hongdui (unless you wanna pay for shipping, in which case I'll GIVE you the paperweight). It was engineered and built by someone with know how.
Okay. Credit where it's due. THIS model from THIS company is a reasonably-high-quality tool. I was given a similar product - also a Chinese offering, by a friend to review (see pics 2,3,4, on right each time) a while ago. It was complete garbage. There's no name on it (not that I fault them for that. I wouldn't take credit/blame for it either), or I'd warn you off.
Then, a few weeks ago, this Hongdui was recommended to me. To be clear: I bought this with my own money, no sponsorship, no pressure. And yanno? I'd put it up there with anything Stanley's put out in the last couple decades.
Compare the two units below (pic 2, 3). Now, ignoring the fact the Hongdui lacks a spirit level (which are A. Utterly worthless for this type of tool, and B. In this case about 15° crooked anyway [pic 4]. Like my Sjobergs bench is that outta kilter. Riiiiight), you can see plainly that they replaced that uselessness with some quality-engineered UTILITY.
I ran both tools through 24 board feet of Padauk, until I achieved a 1/4" chamfer, as well as a 1/4" round over (for the Hongdui. generico is straight edge only), call it 5 rounds for the POS, and, since I did both on the Hongdui, 10 rounds. That's 240 board feet vs 120. Examine pic 3. The Hongdui is on the left: not a scratch. The "other guy" looks mauled.
The indexable carbide cutter on the Hongdui (which it comes with ONBOARD STORAGE for the INCLUDED REPLACEMENTS for) is still going strong. I had to take apart the other halfway through to resharpen it. That's right: "re-". I STARTED with fully shaping, lapping, honing, and stropping it. On Trend diamond plates and finishing with Sharpton glass, then stripping on a Worksharp. I believe it's a Rockwell 8? Maybe 9? I know I have talc that holds an edge better.
In short: if you decide you simply must have a bevel plane, buy the Hongdui (unless you wanna pay for shipping, in which case I'll GIVE you the paperweight). It was engineered and built by someone with know how.