Norris Plane
Norris planes are often described as the Rolls-Royces of woodworking planes. They have achieved almost mythical status when it comes to fine performance working with difficult timbers, as well as being most attractive tools. Patterned after the iconic infills of the 19th century produced by Spiers and other early makers, Norris planes went a step further. By 1913, the maker had patented a mechanism to advance the blade and also give lateral adjustment. He coupled this with dovetailed sides attached to a thick, rigid sole and stuffed (filled) with exotic material such as rosewood or ebony. This combination was more expensive, but also was a marked improvement over the American-based Stanley product. Not only was it an elegant tool, when fettled properly it outperformed any of its competitors.