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Tool: CPM Magnacut Blades Shop Now
Manufacturer: Lake Erie Tool Works
MSRP: $46.99+
As a hand tool junkie, I look at a few things when deciding if a tool is up to snuff. One of those is the condition of the blade. Luckily, replacement blades are readily available, at least in hand planes. The team at Lake Erie Toolworks has thrown their hats in the ring by introducing their new CPM Magnacut Blades.
Lake Erie Toolworks, known for their phenomenal wood vice hardware, has started producing replacement blades for various styles of hand planes, ranging from vintage Stanley/Bailey planes to more modern Lie-Nielsen and Veritas. The real draw of these blades, in my opinion, is the steel that they’re made from. The CPM Magnacut steel is the brainchild of Larrin Thomas, a metallurgist from Pittsburgh. It offers outstanding edge retention and easy sharpening (caveat—I use diamond stones which sharpen just about everything). While most users might not notice a big difference between reputable modern blade manufacturers, I noticed a big difference in these blades, even compared to my high-quality Lie-Nielsen blades.
As I mentioned, the folks at Lake Erie Toolworks have started offering blades out of the CPM Magnacut for the most popular styles of hand planes, including the common bench planes made by Stanley/Bailey. Lake Erie went one step further and have also have introduced a line of block plane blades. If you have a plane with an iron that needs replaced or just want a blade that will stay sharp noticeably longer, you can’t go wrong with the Magnacut blades from Lake Erie.
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