Gimme something from the Hardware city , New Britski!!! Naw,those planes are a thing of beauty can really see the detail, they look like some sort of art deco, porsche design for a gift line for execs. I can't help to think of the form vs function debate that this might stir up with some serious woodworkers, but i'll never know, cause I'll never spend that much on a plane. I rarely use planes these days, but have some old stanleys which are extremely useful when refinishing and hanging old doors. 
Have a Seized Screw? The Hand Impact Is The Right Tool For The Job - http://t.co/eN1siESn
I dont know anything when it comes to block planes, or any plane for that matter, but I do know when something looks cool. This is one cool looking plane. I almost want to buy it just so I can show it off as fine art, but $280 is a little much for me to use it as a really nice paper weight.
For those of you that know your planes, here are the specs:
The contoured body is 7" long by 1-3/4" wide, and has a 12° bed angle. It is machined and surface ground to half our normal flatness and surface finish specifications; the sole and sides are flat and square to within +0.000" and -0.0015" over the entire surface. The A2 tool steel blade is 1-3/8" wide, 9/64" (0.140") thick and hardened to Rc60-62. The blade has a primary bevel of 23°, and a secondary bevel of 25°. The back of the blade is lapped flat within + or -0.0002" (two-tenths of a thousandth of an inch) in the working area of the blade.
