04-10-2024, 08:55 AM
I don't have a huge collection of planes, unlike some people. More than I need, that's for sure. I have never seen a chip breaker that lost its spring, but I have seen one that was ground crooked when it was "tuned." I think it might have been ground on the side of a grinding wheel without due care. Blacksmithed it back into shape and reground. The originals are mild steel, and easy to shape. I imagine you could flatten one a lot by overtightening the cap iron screw.
Given the state of the chip breakers on my antique stanleys, people 100 years ago didn't worry too much about their chip breakers. So the modern ones are probably overkill. If I'm going to go to the trouble of getting a modern blade, I figure I might as well get a modern chip breaker. OTOH, the chip breakers themselves cost as much as most of my planes, but I generally don't worry too much about that.
Given the state of the chip breakers on my antique stanleys, people 100 years ago didn't worry too much about their chip breakers. So the modern ones are probably overkill. If I'm going to go to the trouble of getting a modern blade, I figure I might as well get a modern chip breaker. OTOH, the chip breakers themselves cost as much as most of my planes, but I generally don't worry too much about that.