So a view of all the clever bits from toe to heel.

	First, the adjustable mouth; the level of machining on the toe is very high; I particularly like the attention to detail with the chamfer round the edge. Its movement to and fro is nicely smooth.
	Now the astute will have spotted that the instead of the movable toe piece extending right to the front of the plane, it's enclosed by the sole. Apparently that's a Good Thing if you're in the habit of whacking your planes in to the bench dog and watching the toe get slammed backwards in consequence.
	To be honest it's not something I've been troubled with, and if you have been, then maybe a lesser quality plane would better suit you until you learn better bench habits, but for what it's worth...
	A more relevant feature as far as I'm concerned, is the toe set screw which can be adjusted to limit the backwards movement of the toe piece. If you've ever inadvertently adjusted the toe piece of a block plane into your freshly sharpened edge, you too will appreciate this feature. A suitable hex wrench is provided for adjusting the set screw, and it's simple enough with the lever cap removed. With it in place, it's a rather slow and finicky affair. Now whether this will bother you really depends on whether you tend to adjust your block plane often or not; given the high spec. of the plane, it's probably one that's going to be left set for the finest cuts, so probably not an issue. In fairness I can see no way of making it any less finicky and it's not as though it's difficult to remove the lever cap, but it did make me mutter a bit. But then I do tend to push the likely usage patterns a bit when trying a new tool. On balance I'd certainly prefer to have the feature than not.

	Moving on, the finish on the machined bed is excellent. Maybe even better on the NX. A slight departure from previous Veritas planes in that the set screws either side of the blade have hex sockets rather than slots (a suitable hex wrench is provided).
	They're also not, as far as I can make out, stainless steel. On the whole I think I prefer the hex socket type though; it's a lot easier finding the right size wrench than finding the right size screwdriver as far as I'm concerned. There may be sound engineering reasons for the switch for all I know, but if you read my whitterings for engineering wisdom, you're delusional...
	The lever cap is a most appealing shape; can't put my finger on it, but maybe it's the touch of pursuit-cycling-helmet that appeals? Whatever, it's a lower profile than the regular block and makes for a much more comfortable plane to hold. I'm more of a two-handed block plane user as a rule, but despite their weight, these are easily managed one-handed. My one reservation on the lever cap is the central badge area, which seems to be a sort of "pop in" to the main casting of the lever cap. It feels a little "tinny" somehow; I have doubts about how well it'll survive and it detracts just a tad from the overall quality feel to my mind. It's certainly not a deal breaker, but it's a tiny niggle. Not that they don't look good, mind you.
	The lever cap wheel is a bit of a favourite for me - odd as that sounds. I love the shape and the knurling, but also the fact it isn't entirely buried under the lever cap so it's easily accessible. Other lever cap wheels tend not to overlap the outer limit of the cap, but this one does, and it just makes it somehow better. In theory that should make it annoying, possibly painful and generally in the way, but it's not. It's also very smooth to tighten and the tilting shoe that actually bears on the iron is equally nicely finished.
	It's also very smooth to tighten and the tilting shoe that actually bears on the iron is equally nicely finished.
	Anyway, moving on from my strange new fetish... The adjuster; it's your standard Veritas style of adjuster, except in stainless steel with that lovely knob. However, that's not all; if you've silently cursed as you lift the iron only to find the adjuster has come away with it, you're going to love the addition of the grub screw to retain the adjustment assembly in the body of the plane.
	Such a small thing, but a most pleasing improvement nicely executed. I was inclined to grin inanely when I discovered its existence. The adjuster itself is precise, smooth (there's that word again) and a bare 1/8 of a turn of backlash. Lovely jubbly.
	As ever, the proof is in the using, and not unexpectedly, they both work a treat.
	I'd love to say they threw themselves at the wood and I sat back and had a cuppa and a biscuit while they got on with it - they look like that should happen. But no, poor old muggins here had to do the pushing and the sharpening and all that jazz.
	In that respect you could argue they're no better than any existing quality block plane. Actually, as far as the end result goes, I will happily say it's perfectly true. But this isn't just about the result; it's about the pleasure derived getting there. These planes have a lot of pleasure to give, right from opening the box through to the hassle-free adjustments.
	I can't think that any woodworker would be anything but chuffed to bits to be given the NX60 - it really is something to behold and is a no brainer if you're looking for a presentation tool to mark a special occasion. The DX gives you all the same steak, but without quite so much sizzle; having said which, it's hardly sizzle-less! So after all my mutterings about ugly tools, did the boys in the R&D department meet the challenge of making a beautiful tool? Oh yes indeedy.

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