I'm enjoying your comparisons. I have the Record 405 which is the english made Stanley 45 and I think it is a fine plane.

Faithfull FAIPLANE4B No.4 Smoothing Plane in Wooden Box Faithfull FAIPLANE4B No.4 Smoothing Plane in Wooden Box

Stanley Type 14 Handplanes date 1929-1930. It is from the USA and is now cast into the bed at the toe. A raised ring is cast into the bed to act as a receiver for the knob, and it prevents the splitting of the knob. The chances of splitting are high due to the raised ring and greater leverage capable of being placed on them than on the low knobs. Pay attention to the color of the plane. When the Stanley plane is painted blue, it is Type 15 to 20, and the plane is Type 20 and it dates from 1962 to 1967. Also, the mouth on the type 11 is finer. This doesn't really make a difference to me, though. Since I've learned to set the chipbreaker farther forward on the blade for fine shavings, I've not noticed a need for a fine mouth. I very much agree with your opinions on the aesthetics of this plane. I guess I'll have to post some more pictures. The old one definitely is cooler and makes me smile more. I was only trying to make the point that the new one is every bit as capable of working as well as the old one on the wood.

If that’s all set ok, I think it’s possible you aren’t applying enough downward pressure on the planing stroke. You need to press down on the front of the plane when starting the stoke, balance the pressure through the stroke and put pressure on the rear of the plane at the end. Some people describe it as trying to plane a hollow in the middle of the board.

No. 4 Plane Review: Part II - Stanley Made in England - Blogger No. 4 Plane Review: Part II - Stanley Made in England - Blogger

A lot is said about the ribbed face vs. the flat face on the frogs and I see no benefit to the flat face. The lever cap only presses on the blade at the lever and the bottom of the cap iron. The middle has no pressure on it at all. SUITABLE FOR: Removing very fine shavings from a variety of wood types to leave a smooth finish. When used effectively, the “No. 4” Sweetheart™ Smoothing Bench Plane from STANLEY® can produce a finish that equals or surpasses that made by conventional sandpaper. I’m fairly sure the lever cap and screw is set correctly – it’s definitely not too loose, if anything I set it too tight and had to loosen it to allow me to adjust the depth.What ‘stones’/ technique are you using to ‘sharpen’? – Picture? Hand sharpening was good enough for Jesus Christ, so it should be good enough for the rest of us; in these cases, a bevel guide for honing can be a complication instead of a solution. They certainly introduce more work than they are worth.