I've found that wood-working hand-tools typically require fiddling - Veritas stuff is no exception. I've seen that issue with planes, sometimes it's fixed by finding the exact spot where it produces the cut you want - so keep making micro-adjustments. Another way, is make sure the surface where the blade sits is flat and burr-free - some 320 grit sandpaper or finer might help. If none of that helped, there's sharpening the blade, which will remove some material and make it shorter. I'd probably sharpen the blade anyway, it doesn't necessarily arrive in perfect condition. And lastly, you can file the front of the plane's mouth until it's a little larger and allows more room for the blade.

@@WhittlinRich thanks for the quick response. Good advise!

They arrived pretty scratched-up, and the sides were unfinished, so I used the "sandpaper on glass" method to smooth and shine them. 150 grit, 180, 220, 320, 600, 800, to 1000 grit. I just freehand sharpen, letting the chisel rest on its factory-bevel, which is ample enough to keep it steady. I also regularly strop them on leather with polishing compound. They hold their edge very well and they're my goto chisels for the small-scale stuff I do - I really like them. I could've just used my small 70mm DMT diamond stones (course, fine, and extra-fine) but I wanted a less scratchy finish.

@@WhittlinRich thank you Rich. I will follow your advice.

You meant the Wrench XS? If so, then I won't get it. I already have a Cobra XS and love it. I want a Wrench XS as a toothless plier, but if its jaws are not hardened, then it is pointless beyond a wrench. Another reason for me to want a toothless plier: some airports such as Hong Kong does not allow a plier with teeth on the jaws.

@@kingoftweaks i have the 125 wrench. But i imagine the XS is the same. Interesting bit about airports.

@@gigel99324 A review of 10" on Amazon also reported the softness of the jaws with damaged images.

I think it works well for what it is. It's now my goto for shaving small pieces of wood down to size or squaring it up. I used to use a "Veritas Pocket Plane" on a homemade shooting-board. This one is nicer because the plane stays in its track. I use it on basswood which is relatively soft - and typically 1/4-inch thick. Note that the shooting-board has to be adjusted before use, squaring the fence and tightening the metal track (which requires a Robertson 0 bit). Another point to consider is the plane's handle, which is loose - I don't use it and push on the back of the plane instead of using the handle. Overall I like the plane and the shooting-board and I put them to work - but in some ways they're a novelty item. It's a miniature tool that's good for making miniature things.

@@WhittlinRich what is the thickest piece of wood you could see using with this setup?

@@bruinsfan452 The blade itself is 3/4 inch wide, it's skewed/slanted in the plane, and the plane itself sits in a track - so, only 5/8 inch of the blade is actually exposed for cutting. I typically use 1/4 inch basswood but I've done 1/2 inch thick which worked fine (basswood is relatively soft though).

@@WhittlinRich thanks appreciate the reply. How do you think it might handle something a bit harder like maple?

@@bruinsfan452 I've used mine on regular 5/64-thick birch popsicle-sticks and some 1/8-inch thick beech craft sticks. I wouldn't go near my 1/2-inch thick oak though. It would probably cut up to 3/16-inch thick maple, but the pushing gets uncomfortable - it's a small-scale plane. A regular-sized block-plane in a shop-made shooting-board would be more robust for larger and harder woods.

Yes, it's square. I use it on a shop-made shooting-board all the time and it works well. It's also heavy for its size, which helps too.

@@WhittlinRich Brill thanks

I've had the Veritas Pocket Plane for a couple years, using it on basswood mainly, and have had no problems using it for small-scale work. I considered the LN violin makers plane but ultimately went with Veritas for a reason I no longer remember. At 2:05 in the video, I'm using the finger-rest (it's more of a shelf than a circle). I have a full-size Lie Nielsen block plane, which I use on the bigger/harder stuff - it's great too.