Hello Suzuki,
I set up the Keizaburo white steel plane today, and it is fabulous. First, the dai by Nimura is excellent. It took me about 1/2 hour to get the blade fitted just as I like it. The holding-down grooves are very well cut, and the blade has full, even support on the bed. He set the throat for zero clearance so that the user can open it as desired. The blade has good pressure right to the edge of the holding down groove, having been just slightly cut in by the fitting and accurate cutting, so vibration is eliminated with the plane in use. Really, top notch dai cutting.
The well made chipbreaker was also perfectly accommodated by precise fitting of the pin. In my experience, this is a rare occurrence. One other case where I had such a well executed fit was on a Fugetsu plane by Yamamoto. While the Yamamoto dai is not stamped by the daiya, my guess is that it is also made by Nimura. If not, the dai maker has a very similar style, and is also fabulous.
The flat on the chipbreaker was just slightly convex across its width, and it flattened out readily on a flat coarse stone in about 30 seconds. No tapping out was required. Again, a rare occurrence. I adjusted one ear of the chipbreaker on the anvil and it now sits perfectly on the blade. Really, as good as it gets. Unlike the Fugetsu chipreaker which is also very well made but heavy, the Keizaburo chipbreaker is more delicate, and a bit springy. You can push it almost all the way into position, with increasing tension, and tap it into final position with good pressure.
The blade itself arrived sharp, and the uradashi was finely done. I did not need to adjust it at the anvil. Again, this is rare. This might be the first time I have not had to make an initial adjustment to a blade at the anvil. This is first because it is well made, and second because it is very recently made. If it had sat for months or years I would have expected it to move a bit, and an adjustment on at least one corner would have been likely.
The white steel blade sharpens readily, drawing up a burr rapidly on a King stone (these will hardly affect something like a Special Steel blade, where something like a Bester silicon carbide is a much better choice). I then went to a 5000 Suehiro, and then an 8000 Naniwa. The blade simply sharpens right up, and is ready to work. Compared to sharpening a blue steel blade #1 or Special Steel, this white steel blade is readily prepared.
I have been working some kiln-dried Douglas fir with some very spongy early wood with super-hard late wood, and it has been eating my blades, including blue steel #1. Special Steel by Yamamoto has been holding up well in this wood. Well, the Keizaburo held up great, and I was also able to get nice thin shavings because it sharpens to such a thin edge.
So, the Keizaburo white steel #1 sharpens easily and holds a great edge. What a great plane!
The bevel on the blade is 29 degrees, and the blade is set at 42 degrees, which must be Uchihashi's preference. This worked great in my fir today.
I am very, very happy to be able to use this blade, fitted to such a nice dai.
Best,
John McDonald
April 19, 2012 by John McDonald
Hello Suzuki,
I set up the Keizaburo white steel plane today, and it is fabulous. First, the dai by Nimura is excellent. It took me about 1/2 hour to get the blade fitted just as I like it. The holding-down grooves are very well cut, and the blade has full, even support on the bed. He set the throat for zero clearance so that the user can open it as desired. The blade has good pressure right to... read more↓
