Greetings...

I have been using a #3 Clifton smoother for the past few years, and it
has been one of the best planes I have owned, but recently the edge of
the iron seems to be crumbling, almost right after honing, the first few
passes leaves a wonderful glossy surface to the timber, then the edge
seems to fail, it feels like tiny chips are coming from the
edge...leaving a surface that looks and feels ragged, with lines left
after each pass, I thought it may be grit or dirt left in the ends of the
lumber, but my shopmade smoother ( with 1/4" thick Knight Toolworks iron
) leaves no such marks on the same wood, with no chunks missing from the
edge...so I am wondering if I have a defective iron, or maybe someone
else is having the same trouble...

thanks for your time...

DCH