The name Karl Holtey has been synonymous with high quality woodworking planes for about a decade now. The planes, largely modeled on the great British planes of the nineteenth century (only made better), have a reputation for being some of the most coveted and sought after tools in the world – and possibly the most expensive new planes that money can buy. The Holtey 11-S Plane is a new model, less expensive “entry level” hand plane. Though touted as a block plane, the 11-S – with its 1-1/2 inch wide, bevel-down blade bedded at 60° – is more like a small smoothing plane than a traditional metal block plane. Its available in three different infill choices, rosewood, boxwood and ebony, and at 6-3/4 inches long is similar in size to a Stanley number 2 smoothing plane, though it lacks any form of adjuster for depth of cut or lateral movement. This isn’t really a problem as, with a little practice, it is easy enough to adjust the blade to your liking. The workmanship and finish are impeccable, which is to be expected of a Holtey plane. The dovetails are crisp and tight, the infill is snug and silky smooth and [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Holtey 11-S Plane

This ebony rabbet plane from MuJingFang might be considered by some to be a little rough in places but, coming in under $30, you can forgive a little crudeness here and there. Michael Brereton tries it out. The body of this particular plane measured 6-1/4 inches long and 1 inch wide and looked like a nice “select” piece of jet black ebony, free of defects. The roughly finished blade was bedded at about 46° and was made of HSS. At just under 1/8 of an inch thick it needed a little flattening, sharpening and honing before I felt it was suitable enough to use. Of course this would be expected of most planes, let alone one at such an inexpensive price. Once the fettling had been done it was down to the testing. The plane did a surprisingly good job of planing whatever I threw at it, probably due to the mass of the ebony and the fact that the mouth was nice and narrow at just a little over 1/32 of an inch – excellent for a wooden plane I felt. Like the palm smoothing plane reviewed earlier, this plane also felt nice to use, providing a comfortable grip [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at MuJingFang Rabbet Plane

At under $20 the MuJingFang palm smoothing plane is certainly an affordable hand tool for most woodworkers, but Michael Brereton asks “Is it any good?” Made of rosewood and measuring in at 5-1/8″ long by 1-9/16″ wide this little plane is handy for smaller trimming jobs rather than any sort of major cabinetry. The 1-3/8″ wide blade is made of HSS and is 1/8″ thick and it needed a little work done to it before the plane was suitable enough testing but, once that was done, it seemed to hold an edge well. Bedded at an angle of 62° it resisted chatter on most of the difficult timber I tested it on, but not all. Still, the results were pretty impressive and more reminiscent of a popular, more expensive brand of Asian style hand planes. The mouth of the smoother was fine and tight – aided by a strip of brass let in to the front edge. The sole did have a twist to it, however, which was quickly rectified by a little lapping (Ah, the beauty of wooden planes – fast lapping). Once this was achieved the plane performed very well on birds-eye and curly maple as well as [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at MuJingFang Palm Smoothing Plane

There are a number of different ways to make a wooden plane, though some purists may have you believe that there is only one “true” way and that is to make them out of a solid block of wood. To my way of thinking this is not the case at all. Wooden planes can be made from a single block, by gluing two halves together or by laminating several blocks. With modern glues it’s safe to say that no method is any better or any worse than another. It all just gets down to in the end is personal preference. Nowadays there seems to be a wealth of information about plane making but it was not always the case. Over the decades there have been articles in magazines, trade papers and books around the world but during the 1980′s and 1990′s things really started to heat up and planemaking articles became much more frequent. This is great because the more information that is available to you the easier it should be to make a good hand plane. So, when it comes to books, how do you pick the wheat from the chaff? What are the best sources of information on [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Books On Wooden Plane Making

Ashby Low-Angle Block Plane Reviewed by Bob Howard The inspiration for this tool is the legendary Norris plane. With that as his guide, Phil Ashby, a longtime Adelaide-based woodworker, has set out to make a plane which has, as he puts it, “the excellence of old”. In recognition of the demands of the modern market, he has also decided to supply his plane in ready-to-use condition. Unfortunately, since all the necessary fettling is time consuming hand work, this must add considerably to the cost. This might not matter to a large section of his potential market, but as we are all painfully aware, woodworking is not a lucrative profession, so I would like to suggest that the plane be offered in “unfettled” condition for those with the time and skill to do it themselves. Hopefully this will make it available at a more affordable price than the current $650. Weighing in at 2 pounds 10 oz. (1.2kg) the plane certainly has the heft of a Norris. The sole measures 6-3/8″ x 2-7/16″ (162mm x 62mm) which is large for a block plane. The blade is a magnificent piece of precision ground high carbon tool steel, 2″ (50mm) wide and a [...]

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

Chester Toolworks make a range of attractive and functional hammers designed specifically to help adjust and set the irons in woodworking planes. While primarily intended for those preferring all-wood or Japanese style planes rather than Stanleys or other iron makers, these hammers not only look great but they have a nice heft to them as well. Now some of us might make do with whatever small hammer or convenient tool that may be lying around on our bench for adjusting our planes, but it’s good to know that there is a much better alternative. Japanese plane hammers have been around for quite a while now and do the job well, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a choice. With the help of Chester Toolworks, it’s now much easier to get a high quality, nicely crafted and equally beautiful tool at an affordable price. At the “heart” of the hammers is a nicely turned and very well balanced double-faced brass head. One face features a hardwood insert made from lignum-vitae, which is perfect for knocking the heels or tops of the planes that need adjustment without causing damage to your plane surfaces. At the other end of the hammer is [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Chester Toolworks – Hand Plane Adjustment Hammers

Classic Plane Review The Stanley Rule & Level Company introduced Its #72 Chamfer Plane in 1885, and continued to manufacture it until 1938. While it was by no means one of Stanley’s “big sellers”, it is reasonable to assume that it must have sold in sufficient numbers to warrant Its inclusion in the product line for some fifty-four years. Certainly Its occurrence amongst collectors and second-hand dealers suggests that although it wasn’t common, it was popular enough to find Its way into thousands of workshops and tool kits. It’s not hard to see why either – it really is a good little plane. While everything this plane does can be achieved with other bench planes, spoke shaves or draw knives, the #72 just makes things a little quicker and easier. Sure you can plane off the edges of your dining table with an ordinary Stanley #4 or #5, but it might be a little difficult to stop that sucker from rocking to and fro. With the #72 you don’t have to worry – all you have to do is hold it down, and push forward, and before you know it, your table has a nice clean and smooth chamfer along [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Stanley #72 Chamfer Plane

Through Much Tribulation: Stewart Spiers and the Planemakers of Ayr To call this book the definitive story of Stewart Spiers is somewhat of an understatement. Sure, by definition, the scope of information which resides within this 132 page work by author and longtime collector Nigel Lampert is truly immense, however this book is more than just your average book of old tools. It almost feels as if the reader has embarked on a very personal and privileged journey through the life and times of Stewart Spiers, complete with historical accounts of the township of Ayr and it’s surrounds, the development of that town into a booming industrial city and the people and events that no doubt shaped the character of a young man who would go on to be, arguably, the most influential of all British metal planemakers. Indeed this book highlights with remarkable insight the ingenuity, inventiveness and enterprise of Stewart Spiers, from the early development of his handplane line to an established and thriving business known and sought by woodworkers the world over for it’s high class quality products. Although most of the book is about Stewart Spiers there is also additional information on other Ayr planemakers such [...]

You can find this original article on Handplane Central at Through Much Tribulation