The following text was taken from a three-page promotional leaflet which was acquired in 1992. Originally there were no pictures with the leaflet and the ones here were sourced from the magazine “Australian Wood Review”. While it is understood that the company no longer produces planes on a full-time basis, they may still have finished hand planes and castings in stock. Its not known if the contact details given at the bottom of the leaflet is still relevant. Plane Works has been listed in the Handplane Central archives as “Contemporary Planemakers” until it is known for sure just what their current status is. The Leaflet… LEFT: Plane No. 5 3/4; in gunmetal. Plane Works is a partnership of two independent furniture designers and makers working in Melbourne. In late 1989 we sought to develop and produce a high quality hand plane which would achieve the high level of performance required to work some Australian timbers. We are now convinced we have accomplished this with our P5 3/4 hand plane. In the process of developing the plane, we have conducted research on the finer hand planes manufactured in the past. We also took careful note of the aspects of hand plane [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Plane Works – Gunmetal Infill Panel Planes

NOTE: The following text and scans are taken from a brochure released by the Ashby Tool Company sometime in early 1996. I’ve included it on this site because it’s always nice to have brochures, catalogs, advertisements and other historical documents from the manufacturers themselves, as they help to provide part of the overall picture of hand planes and planemaking. The Ashby Tool Company is still an ongoing concern, and Philip Ashby can often be found at many of the trade shows around Australia each year, demonstrating his woodworking planes. From memory – and if anyone can confirm this it would be much appreciated – the Ashby Tool Company has made and sold around 150 planes or so. The planes can be bought through: Mik International Box 70 Burnside 5066 504 Glynburn Rd Burnside SA, 5066. BRONZE SERIES WOODWORKING PLANES from the ASHBY TOOL Co. (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) Philip Ashby recently demonstrated at a Sydney woodworking show the prototype of the “Low Angle Block Plane” featured overleaf. During the show, his Ashby Tool Company took orders for five of these planes and received a further five orders within a month afterwards which, at first, may not seem significant though when it is [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Ashby Tool Company – Gunmetal Infill Block Plane