About 12 years ago, Australian woodworker Robert Howard handed me a tiny bag with a knurled bit of metal inside. It was a replacement for the blade adjuster on a Lie-Nielsen 60-1/2 block plane. He asked me to give it a try, and I said I would.
When I returned to the States, I took out the new adjuster and gave it a look. The knurled part was brass, unlike the steel knob on my Lie-Nielsen. But the real difference was at the front of the adjuster. Howard had added a bearing to the brass knob. The bearing dropped into the cavity on the underside of the plane’s blade.
Howard had effectively moved the motion of the adjuster from the rim to the shaft of the adjuster. The result was that the blade adjustment was smoother.
I put the new bearing adjuster on my plane and eventually forgot about it.
Fast forward to January 2026 when I started teaching classes on the road again. I didn’t want to take a chance that I would lose my Lie-Nielsen 60-1/2 (I think I bought it in 1998). So I bought a second 60-1/2 to travel with. And all this year I’ve thought: “Boy, this new block plane is more difficult to adjust. I wonder why?”
Then I remembered the Howard adjuster, and it all made sense. I don’t think Howard sells them anymore (if I’m wrong, please let me know). But James Wright of Wood by Wright offers a nearly identical adjuster for the 60-1/2, plus a second version for the Lie-Nielsen No. 102 (the adjusters are made by Jeffrey Warshafsky of REED planes). We brought in a couple to try.
The adjusters are simple to swap (for the most part; read the instructions closely). And the blade drops right onto the bearing. Then you put the plane back together and go to work.
The difference is noticeable. The blade adjustment is indeed smoother.
For me, the biggest difference was when I put the REED adjuster on the Lie-Nielsen No. 102. Yes, the bearing made adjustments smoother. But the bigger difference was in the diameter of the adjustment knob. I think the adjustment knob for the 102 is a bit small at just under 1/2" in diameter. The REED adjuster is .72" in diameter, and that extra diameter is welcome. The 102 is noticeably easier to adjust with the aftermarket adjuster.
The REED adjusters are $39 each plus shipping. Should you buy one?
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