The Record #04. Leitz Summicron 50mm DR

Some years ago, I was given this little Record #04 smoothing plane by a friend.  It had belonged to a shop mate of hers, whom I knew.  When he passed away, she wanted me to have it.  
I didn't use the plane for a long time because its sole wasn't flat, or square to the side wings.  One day, during Lockdown, I went at it with grinding stones and file, and got everything nice and true.  It still had the original cutter and chip breaker of tungsten steel.  I gave the cutter a good sharpen and took it for a test run.  The plane worked beautifully, and had a nice heft to it.  Since then, the #04 has become a Go-To for any kind of smoothing and general planing jobs.  
A little research online reveals that the #04 was offered by Record from 1931 until 2004.  Originally, the handle and knob were of Rosewood, but post-WW2, this changed to stained beech.  Then, in the late 1990s, production changed again to plastic or high impact resin.  Mine are of beechwood.  I have refinished them with shellac and wax so they have a nice feel and a soft glow.  Based on various production changes, I believe this plane dates from the early 1970s.
The latest upgrade in the last weeks has been to order a much heftier cutter and chip breaker made of harder, A2 steel.  The thicker the steel, the less vibration and chatter occurs when using the tool.  The cutter is twice as thick as the original - nearly 3mm - and ground perfectly flat and square.  It's a delight to behold. The chip breaker, also beautifully machined, screws to the cutter and serves to support and stiffen the blade right at the cutting edge.  But to accommodate the thicker cutter, I had to file the front of the throat out by 1mm, an insignificant alteration for such a gain in performance.  It seems time to take a formal portrait of a fine old tool from the glory days of Britain's industrial production.