I finally got around to putting the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane through its paces last week, and I have quite a few thoughts to share about how it actually performs on the bench. If you've spent any time looking at high-end hand planes, you know that Veritas (the manufacturing arm of Lee Valley) does things a little differently than the traditional designs we see from brands that stick closer to the old Stanley motifs. This plane is a perfect example of that "modern-meets-functional" philosophy that either makes you a lifelong fan or leaves you scratching your head at first.
Why the 5 1/2 size is a game changer
A lot of people start their woodworking journey with a standard #5 jack plane, but the 5 1/2 is a whole different beast. It's wider and heavier. Specifically, the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane features a 2-3/8" wide blade, whereas a standard #5 usually sits at 2". That extra 3/8" might not sound like a big deal on paper, but when you're staring down a wide slab of cherry that needs flattening, you really feel the difference.
The extra mass is the real hero here. It acts like a flywheel; once you get the plane moving, it wants to keep moving. It plows through knots and tricky grain with a level of authority that lighter planes just can't match. It's essentially the "heavyweight" version of a jack plane, bridging the gap between a standard Jack and a Jointer. For me, it's the sweet spot for dimensioning rough lumber.
That Noris-style adjuster
If you're used to the old-school Bailey-style planes with the brass wheel for depth and the long lever for lateral adjustment, the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane might throw you for a loop. It uses a Noris-style adjuster, which is a single post that handles both jobs. You turn it to move the blade up or down, and you nudge it left or right to square the iron to the mouth.
I'll be honest: it takes a minute to get used to the sensitivity. Because one knob does two things, you have to be a bit more deliberate with your fingers. However, Veritas improved the traditional Noris design by making it much tighter. There's almost no "slop" or backlash in the threads. When you turn that knob, the blade moves instantly. It feels precise, like a piece of laboratory equipment rather than a rough-and-tumble shop tool.
The magic of the side set screws
One of my favorite features—and something I wish every plane had—is the pair of set screws on the sides of the plane body. On a traditional plane, when you hit a tough knot, the blade can sometimes shift laterally, ruining your perfect setup.
With the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane, you use a small hex key to bring these two screws in until they just barely touch the sides of the blade. This centers the blade perfectly and locks it in place. You can still adjust the depth and the lateral tilt, but the blade won't "wiggle" side-to-side. It's one of those small engineering touches that makes a massive difference during a long day of planing. You set it once, and you don't have to mess with it again until you take the blade out for sharpening.
Let's talk about the PM-V11 steel
When you buy this plane, you usually get a choice between O1, A2, or PM-V11 steel for the blade. Do yourself a favor and go with the PM-V11. It's a proprietary powdered metal alloy that Veritas developed, and it's honestly lived up to the hype.
It stays sharp significantly longer than O1 or A2, but the real kicker is that it's not a nightmare to sharpen. Usually, "long-wearing" steel means you'll be at the sharpening stones for forty minutes sweating and swearing. PM-V11 behaves more like O1 on the stones—it takes a keen edge quickly—but it holds that edge even when you're working with abrasive woods like teak or figured maple. In my experience with the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane, I can usually get through an entire project's worth of flattening before I need to head back to the honing guide.
How it actually feels in the hand
Ergonomics are subjective, but Veritas clearly spent some time thinking about the human hand. The tote (the back handle) is shaped in a way that feels more vertical than an old Stanley. Some people find this more comfortable for their wrists because it encourages you to push "through" the plane rather than "down" on it.
The front knob is also a bit unique. It's large and flat on the top, which gives you a great spot to rest your palm when you're applying downward pressure at the start of a stroke. The "wings" on the side of the plane are also quite wide and flat, which makes the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane an excellent choice for use on a shooting board. It's stable, it doesn't tip easily, and the machined sides are perfectly square to the sole right out of the box.
Setting it up for the first time
One of the best things about buying a Veritas tool is the "out of the box" experience. Most vintage planes require hours of "fettling"—flattening the sole, filing the frog, squaring the chip breaker. My Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane arrived with a sole that was dead flat. I checked it with a high-end straight edge and couldn't find a single gap.
The only thing you really need to do is hone the blade. While they come ground to a nice 25 or 30 degrees, they aren't "shaving sharp" from the factory. A quick five minutes on the high-grit stones and a strop, and it was ready to produce those translucent, wispy shavings that we all love to see. The adjustable mouth is also a breeze to use. You just loosen the front knob and move the sliding plate to open or close the gap. No need to move the entire frog and risk messing up your depth settings.
Is it worth the investment?
Let's not beat around the bush—the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane isn't cheap. You could buy three or four rusty old Stanleys at a flea market for the price of this one tool. But here's the thing: those old planes are a gamble. You might spend weeks trying to get them to work right, only to find out the casting is warped or the frog is cracked.
With the Veritas, you're paying for precision and frustration-free woodworking. It's a tool that gets out of your way and lets you focus on the wood. Whether you're a professional cabinet maker or a weekend warrior, there's a certain joy in using a tool that is engineered to this level. It feels substantial, it looks beautiful in a modern sort of way, and most importantly, it leaves a surface on the wood that's so smooth you almost don't want to touch it with sandpaper.
If you're only going to own one "large" hand plane, the Veritas 5 1 2 jack plane is a very strong contender for that spot. It's versatile enough to do the rough work, but refined enough to act as a long smoother when you need it. It's become a permanent fixture on my bench, and I don't see it moving to the "collector's shelf" anytime soon. It's a worker, plain and simple.