Wooden Hand Planes Archives - Handplane Central

DID YOU KNOW…

Stanley Tools made over 180 different models of handplanes in its heyday – many of which sold in the tens of millions. Many of them are common and found in most workshops across the world, while some are very rare indeed. If you need to find out some quick information about the collector value, manufacturing dates, sizes and features, then check out the “Stats Sheets” section for basic info on the entire range of Stanley handplanes.

What To Know About Planes – Choosing The Basic Tool Kit

The following article first appeared in the British magazine ‘The Woodworker’ in July, 1939. It was part of a series of articles which would run throughout the rest of that year — Part 1 being on the subject of choosing the basic tool kit. While…

Wooden Plane Making: Cutting Beech Plane-Stocks

When it comes to cutting and making the main body stock of a wooden hand plane its important to realize the fundamentals of planemaking. It goes without saying that wood is a very accommodating and expressive material, and its always on the move in one…

Joh. Weiss & Sohn 1909 Catalog – Part I

The scans below are from the Joh. Weiss & Sohn 1909 Catalog of 1909. The company is one of the oldest planemakers still in existence, and was founded 1820 by a Bavarian carpenter, Johann Baptist Weiss, who emigrated to Vienna, Austria, in 1809. Weiss was…

Hand Planes – Where To Begin?

The Stanley Plane – A benchmark in metal hand planes for the past 140 years. For the beginner, choosing which type of hand plane to buy first up can be a daunting task. Furnituremaker Wesley Johanson looks at what’s available in hand planes and offers…

Joh. Weiss & Sohn 1909 Catalog – Part II

The scans below are the remaining images from the Joh. Weiss & Sohn 1909 Catalog of 1909. Anyone interested in the first part of the catalog — including the history of the firm — can follow the link given below. Part Two continues on with…

Interview With Plane Maker Steve Knight

Knight Toolworks smoothing plane with adjustable mouth, made from cocobolo, oak and ebony. If one were to do a quick check of the various hand tool forums that abound on the net, one thing would soon become evident – the planes made by Knight Toolworks…

Edward Preston & Sons 1901 Catalog

These scans are from the Edward Preston & Sons catalog of 1901. Edward Preston Sr. (1805-1883) was first listed as a plane maker at 77 Lichfield Street in the 1833 Birmingham Directory but it is believed he may have started business there as early as…

MuJingFang Rabbet 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…

MuJingFang Palm Smoothing 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…

Why Make A Hand Plane?

C.R. Miller explores the reasons why it might be desirable to start making your own hand planes and other tools. Make Your Own Hand Planes? Why Would You Bother? Back in 1994 I was giving a planemaking demonstration at a National woodworking show. The plane…

Parts Of A Wooden Plane

While the various names to describe the parts of hand planes may differ slightly from country to country they are, for the most part, standardized. For instance what is known as a “cutter” or “iron” in Britain and Europe is generally called a “blade” in…

Some Hand Plane Making Tips From Bill Carter

Following on from our interview with British hand plane maker Bill Carter, Bill has given Handplane Central a few of his tips and tricks that he has discovered over the years while making infill and wooden hand planes. On keeping things in their place: What…