Wooden smoothing planes are used for the fine finishing of surfaces. In the past, when sandpaper was uncommon, veneered panels, for example, were not sanded but „cleaned” with a smoothing plane. Precise adjustment of the blade and high craftsmanship skill were necessary for this.

In all the wooden smoothing planes offered here, the blades are 48 mm wide, and all blades have a cap iron. The cutting angle for the ECE planes is 50°.

Even if some packages include a note stating that the blade is sharp and ready for use, you should take this with a grain of salt. You need to become acquainted with a new plane; by sharpening it, you will get to know it, and it will reward you with good work. Sharpen the new blade and hone it, and do the same with the cap iron—no matter what the manufacturer tells you! This is the only way to ensure that no shavings get between the cap iron and the blade, which could clog the plane.

Additionally, it doesn’t hurt to smooth the plane sole a bit by placing 600-grit sandpaper on a flat surface and running the plane sole over it several times.

The bodies of all planes on this page have a length of approximately 220 mm and a blade width of 48 mm!

A special feature is offered by the Primus Reform smoothing plane from ECE: it dispenses with a wooden wedge, allowing the blade to be finely adjusted via an adjustment mechanism.