Ok, this is no Lee Valley, Lie Neilsen plane etc, and the title marks it as contractor grade anyway (not fine cabinetmaker) so I wasn't expecting a perfect tool. out of the box the product seems strong and quite well made. The sole is as flat as it needs to be for the type of work the block plane is used for. All adjustment features seem to work well, although a little stiff out of the box until you use them a little more, then they start to free up a little and are easier to adjust etc.