Hock 3 1/2'' Radius-Edge Krenov-Style Plane Assemblies

"I have not made a Krenov type plane before. I wanted to plane a concave surface and decided to make one to do the job.There are other ways I could have achieved the result but I always wanted to make a plane and this was a good excuse. I made the correct decision in purchasing the iron first and then making the plane to fit. I decided to buy the 6 inch radius iron. As usual with Classic Hand Tools it was dispatched quickly and arrived perfectly packaged. The blade had been beautifully ground and honed to a sharp edge and needed very little work to optimise things. It is a really hefty piece of tool steel that has been well polished on the reverse. The chip breaker fits perfectly and again is nicely finished. This is a quality item that works out of the box. Yes, you could make something similar but it would take a long time and I don't not think I would achieve the same finish without more advanced toolmaking skills than I possess. You need to remember that at 45 degrees the 6 inch radius becomes effectively the square root of 2 times the blade radius so I needed to make the radius of the sole nearly 8 inches.Did it work? Yes, it planes beautifully.No judder, easy to adjust, great finish.This blade can be used to make a really top quality plane with just the investment of some time, basic skills and a block of wood.The Hock blade has been perfectly honed for the task and it is obvious that it takes a really good edge but also is very slow to blunt. I had to do a little fettling with a diamond stone to ensure that I was taking an even shaving from the whole of the blade. This was due to the shape of the sole not matching exactly the curve of the blade. My error and an easy fix.If in the future, I decide that I want to make a better plane, I will just transfer the blade. This Hock blade is a life-time investment not a cheap fix. Spurred on by my initial success, I am now thinking of purchasing a straight edged blade and making a smoothing plane. "