Well, for what it’s worth - i inherited an old record plane with a Stanley lever cap, it’s at least 60 years old and belonged to a very accomplished carpenter. With the help of you tube clips from Paul Sellers I found out how to tidy it up and get it sharp - after having been neglected for a few years, now it can shave wood and produce ribbons and whispers as it does so. My point is that if a tool is old and good quality and does what is required, and it’s all you can afford it’s got to be as good as anything more expensive on the shop shelf. When the time comes, and it’s possible to buy better tools then feel the difference between them - but never look back at the old tools with anything less than respect for them. They were good enough when they were all you had.
