Hand Planes: A Plain-talk Overview

We know nothing of who first came up with the idea of a hand plane; all we do know is that it was a long, long time ago. The oldest woodworking plane on record is nearly 2000 years old. Found in Pompeii, it dates from around 79 A.D., but woodworkers with a bit of plane knowledge would immediately recognize it, because its form clearly defines its function. (Incidentally, its dimensions are very close to a #3 smoothing plane!) In the earliest days, planks were likely flattened with an adze-like tool, such as the one shown at right. When the idea of mounting a chisel-like cutter in a sliding fixture came to be, the hand plane was born and its long history began. Initially, plane bodies were made of wood and their irons, or blades, were metal. As both woodworking and metalworking became more sophisticated, hand plane styles and purposes evolved, too. Irons for moldings and other tasks broadened the concept beyond its basic beginnings into a tool that not only shaped beautiful objects but also our very concept of woodworking.

For a tool that essentially began as a wood smoother, the variety of hand planes that now abound is frankly extraordinary. A chisel-like blade, held securely at an angle that allows it to cut the fibers of wood effectively, does not sound like a big deal. But as expert woodworker Ian Kirby has told me: “If