slick vs rabbet plane

[Alexis]

Hello,

my next tool purchase will be either a slick or a rabbet plane... which one would you suggest... I know I like the rabbet plane for tenon paring but almost never used the slick in my classes...

thanks for your advice

Alexis

[witterbound]

Depends on your needs and style. Knew one guy who used his slick all the time for very quickly removing material.  He seldom used his plane.  Another guy I knew used his plane all the time, but never used a slick.  The first guy was a "let's get it done" type person, the second guy was slower and more careful.

I'd vote for the plane myself.

[Jim_Rogers]

A plane will most likely cost less, but it has it's limitations. Such as you can't use it in a mortise.

A slick will cost more, but you can use it in more situations.

As mentioned above, some people use a slick for just about everything that they can.
Others don't.

I didn't use a slick for many years, but since getting one I have found it very useful and use it quite a bit.

Jim Rogers

[routestep]

As mentioned by Jim, the slick is very useful in a mortise where a plane can't go. I think I use my my slick though on only about 1/3 of the mortices that I've made. My  1.5 or two inch chisel is just about as good and is in hand. Plus the way I sharpen my chisels better fits my smaller ones. Guess I need to upgrade that part of the business because a sharp tool is key to this work.

I have a fairly cheap Stanley 10.5 rabbet. I use it a lot on tenons, almost all of them. I think its easier to use when the wood has dry out than a slick. Plus it gets into the corners.

I vote for the rabbet first.

Cost can go either way. Lie Nielson made a very expensive rabbet, I think its about the size of a # 10 Stanley and over $300. Barr makes a slick, but I don't know what they cost now. Over two hundred I would guess. You can see if there is a web site for them.

[Raphael]

I've used both, the plane is great for flat, the slick is great for slightly hollowed.
The one plane to have is definitely the Lie-Nielsen No. 10-1/4 Bench Rabbet.
Otherwise a pair of old wooden rabbits with handles offset opposite directions will help preserve your knuckles.

[moonhill]

I fall into the slick and "get it done" category.  That doesn't mean I don't care, though.  Either way it need to be sharp. 

I recently had the chance to use a Barr slick.  I liked how sharp it was, but it lacked the detailed curves needed to execute a clean cut.  I would work the bottom of the blade so it was not as flat and put a radius on the front cutting edge.  It is the knuckle thing that pushes me away from the hand plane side of the work.  If I have a long  tenon I use a hand plane.  I must admit, I also don't have a rabbet plane therefore it is hard to give a unbiased opinion.

Tim

[kfhines]

That's a tough call. You will eventually end up with both ;D. I have the fore mentioned Lie-Nielsen Rabbet plane and it is one sweet tool! I also would not be with out my Slicks either, each has its place. You can quickly and accurately flatten a tenon face with the Slick needing only a few strokes of the Plane to split the line, clean up the corner and chamfer the end.  Hmmm to answer the question I would say Slick first (an old one).

kfhines