How a plane is built
A plane is used to flatten, true or shape wooden surfaces. The traditional plane has a body of hardwood, often beech, with the blade held by a wedge. The part that slides on the work is called the sole. Older planes often lacked a chipbreaker, the extra plate on top of the blade that breaks the shaving.
Three main types of metal plane
Metal planes fall into three main designs: the wedge-adjusted wooden plane, Bailey's design with a depth-adjustment wheel and lateral lever, and the design developed by the English firm Norris, used today by Veritas among others in their smoothing and block planes. The American firm Stanley pioneered steel planes, and Hock makes replacement blades for vintage Stanley planes.
See our range: Hand Planes
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