The Parcel of Loveliness...

As this is the 100th Blokepost, it's appropriate that it ought to be a memorable one...and then some. A very grubby UPS delivery note was on my doormat last night saying that a parcel had been left with a neighbour, so with a rising sense of delicious anticipation I collected it from the said address and transported it very carefully home (why, I don't know, 'cos it had just travelled about 3000 miles from Ottawa) After ripping open the box, nestled amongst all the packing, there were three smaller ones, two of which contained the new block planes from Veritas and the third the equally spanky dovetail saw.
The new DX60 is a very pretty and superbly designed plane. It's far better than the LN 60.5 that I'm currently using, so that one may be kicked into touch, or at least offered for sale at some point. The particular things I found impressive were the way the adjustable shoe for the mouth is completely enclosed and that there is a cunning little stop to prevent it from slamming into the blade as the mouth is closed up. The LN by comparison (it uses the Stanley system) is clunky, awkward and quite difficult to set. The adjuster is also of the standard Veritas pattern, using a Norris inspired system...this sort of thing is found on all their planes, and being a Norris fan...I like!
Then of course, there's the design style. Its just eyewateringly, gobsmackingly pretty!! Everything that applies to the DX60 can be said about it's sibling, the NX60...except that the lights need to be dimmed and dark glasses worn 'cos when you take it out of its black velvet drawstring bag there's a very real risk of being blinded by the glare. It's seriously shiny!!...the thing is actually sitting in all it's shining sparkliness in front of me at work as I type on the 'puter (sad git that I am)
The new dovetail saw is growing on me. Like lots of others, I didn't initially like it when I saw pics of it on the Interweb, but you know...it grows on you. Now that I've had a chance to examine one at close quarters and more importantly, to pick it up, it's actually more comfortable to hold than my current LN d/t saw. I'm going to keep both and do a full 'shop test in due course as Michael Huntley wants me to review it for next months F&C and then later to do a comparison test against the LN after six months or so...it's going to be an interesting time in the 'shop.