Wooden Handplanes

Hand planes are used to generously remove, precisely level or finely finish wood surfaces. When finishing, the focus is always on the cleanly smoothed surface, which brings out the character of the wood in every detail.

On a plane, the plane iron protrudes over the plane sole. The protruding edge is used to remove coarse to very fine chips from the surface of the wood. The protrusion is used to determine the chip thickness.

Due to the different application possibilities, this question cannot be answered in a general way. For the beginning, however, it certainly makes sense to purchase a plane for the preparatory work (e.g. roughing plane), one for the fine surfaces (e.g. plastering plane or double plane) and a small one-handed plane for adjustment work, chamfers, etc. 

Planes are made of wood or metal.

• Wooden planes: are lighter and allow for less tiring work.
• Metal planes: run more smoothly due to their higher dead weight, which is particularly advantageous for difficult grain.

The choice is up to the individual.

There are different planes for different applications. Below you will find a small selection:

• Plastering planes/double planes: Versatile for all finishing and plastering work. Plaster and double planes produce smooth surfaces that often do not require any further treatment.
• One-handed plane: Very useful for smoothing edges, finishing small surfaces, planing bevels and curves, and many other applications
• Rebate plane: For finishing and creating rebates, working on narrow surfaces (e.g. mouldings) and for finishing tenons.
• Base plane: For crafting grooves and other recesses in wood.
• Jointers plane: Plane for planing and jointing wood. Straightens uneven surfaces due to its long design.
• Roughing plane: Usually with a rounded edge, well-suited for preparing for planing with the roughing bench. The roughing plane is used on very uneven, rough surfaces. Can also be used for structuring wooden surfaces