Hey everybody, it’s that time of year again – it’s the Anarchist’s Gift Guide. We’ve been doing this for more than a decade now, people seem to like it, so I guess we’ll keep it up. Why? Unlike some other gift guides, ours isn’t sponsored. (In fact, if somebody asked us to write about their tool for the gift guide, our standard retort would be: “Why don’t you poop up your own butt?”) This is stuff we use and love. We have 11 offerings this year, and will publish one a day until we’re done. – Chris & Fitz
Veritas PMV11 blade in a Lie-Nielsen Smooth Plane
Nothing is magic, but I’d call call the combination of a Veritas PMV-11 iron in my Lie-Nielsen No. 3 magic-adjacent. Why? Something about carbides/rocks…on which Chris will pontificate a bit below. Why it adds up, though, is that A2 can be a little toothy on the edge, and as a result leave a not-mirror shine behind when used in a smooth plane blade. The purpose of the smooth plane is to make it look pretty; the PMV-11 blade does a better job of making it so.
Plus it’s easy to sharpen, hone and polish (and arguably holds a sharp edge a bit longer, though to quote Shania Twain: that don’t impress me much, since I know how to sharpen). – Fitz
Chris’s take: Lie-Nielsen has refined its A2 blades so they are are excellent, as good as I’ve used. But the PMV-11 is just a little bit better in my opinion. After long experience with both, I find the PMV-11 sharpens faster. It feels like good old O1 on the stones. It takes a wicked sharp edge. And it lasts a lot longer than O1 (and noticeably longer than any A2). If you are happy with your A2 blade, don’t switch. But if you want something a little more, then the PMV-11 is the answer. I use my stock Lie-Nielsen chipbreaker with the PMV-11 blade without any problems, FYI. – CS